By Jack Houvouras
HQ 43 | WINTER 2002
“If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?” – Percy B. Shelley
For a community so rich in natural beauty as Huntington, Winter is not the best of times. Trees are stripped bare of their leaves, green grasses fade away and a stark grey sky dominates the region. While it’s true that an occasional snowfall blankets the land and brightens an otherwise tranquil setting, those special days are few and far between. For me, Winter is lifeless and colorless, a depressing time of year that leaves me anxiously counting the days until Spring.
While most people in Huntington will tell you that the most beautiful time of year is Fall, I respectfully dissent. Spring is a season of unparalleled brilliance and harmony. Nature is reborn with the arrival of the snow white blossoms of the Bradford Pear. Yellow forsythia and purple redbuds illuminate the landscape as warmer temperatures give way to pale blue skies.
Elegant pink and white dogwood trees are in abundance as area lawns grow green and lush. In essence, the sterility of Winter retreats and gives way to the color palette that is Spring.
The senses are reborn in the Spring. It’s hard to ignore the comfort of the sun, the distinct aroma of fresh cut grass or the unmistakable perfume of the budding crabapple tree.
Life returns to the city not only in the form of trees and flowers, but the daily activities of the people who return to Ritter Park filled with an energy that has been repressed by the dark days of Winter.
Spring is special because it is our reward for enduring the harshness of Winter. That is why I celebrate this part of nature’s perfect cycle. For me, it is the time of year that holds the fondest memories of the past and the greatest promise for the future.
