Terry: Signs of spring are literally in the air

In our part of the world a person can tell spring is in the air without looking at the calendar because the signs of spring are literally in the air.

A short drive in the country will tell you what I mean. Before you even see the black and white road kill cakes you’ll notice the aroma of what we refer to as polecat parfume. Apparently those boar skunks have received a seasonal hormone signal causing them to roam because I noticed the other day that a good number of them didn’t roam fast enough to get off the highway safely.

The other sign of spring hanging in the air is the pollen, mostly from the nasty elm trees that aren’t even native to this area. I guess if you gave me my choice between skunks and elm trees I would probably pick the skunks. I don’t figure I would ever be granted that wish, however, I don’t think that even God could kill off elm trees or skunks. I know I’ve tried my best on both counts.

The other thing that tells you it’s springtime on the Plains is that howling west wind. All the better to move that elm tree pollen and skunk juice around.

Fortunately farmers these days don’t leave as much ground open to blow but back in the day that spring drive through the country might mean getting your car’s paint sand-blasted. Now you just have to pay attention and not flinch when the tumbleweeds come at you.

That same trip in the vehicle this time of year is unique in that it’s likely you’ll run the heater full blast in the mornings and you might even scrape frost off the windshield. A few hours later you could be running the air conditioner. Then if a norther blows through that afternoon you could be back to running the heater again.

That pre-spring drive also has its good moments as well. Like glancing out over a green wheat field, breaking up the brown tones of earth. If you pay attention on that wheat pasture you’ll see signs of the spring calf crop frisking through the grass.

You might encounter folks on bicycles and motorcycles. Around here the kids still play outside on spring days. You just thought that had become a thing of the past.

If you’re headed back into town in the dusk you might just see ballpark lights burning in the distance. Baseball season comes too early these days it seems. The spring is here and gone quickly, though. Young bodies need to take advantage every fleeting hour and drink in the sights and even the smells.

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

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