There’s something in the air.

Yes, you can hear it if you listen closely. You can smell it, pungent and sweet. Or you can feel it, soft, pleasant to the touch.

Look again – you can even see it. It’s bursting all around you; people are smiling again.

Even the birds are chirping about it:

“What do you think, can you hear grass growing?”

“No, I can’t but I smell that mulch and flowers!”

“Ya, those are the roses about to burst their colors!”

“What I like is the breeze, doesn’t ruffle my feathers!”

“Ya, so soft and warm!”

“And water in our bird baths, filled again, no ice!”

That’s right, the birds know and are spreading the good news. Just listen: Summer, summer, summer …

Frank E. Reilly

Portland