Part of the reason I love Louisiana so much is because no matter what season it is, there is always something to enjoy.
In the summer there’s festivals galore, fall brings out those Friday night lights and in the winter there’s extra magical Christmas’s followed by Mardi Gras celebrations. But there is something so perfect about Springtime in Louisiana. When I stepped foot outside that first warm day after the cold front, I knew my season was here.
Crawfish and kayaking, live music on patios, and fishing on the lake before the heat gets too sweltering. Spring is the perfect time to enjoy all the best parts of Louisiana, before the summer brings around a kind of heat that makes you melt like a popsicle.
March in Louisiana is the best time for a walk in the park, where my kids race past me on the trails on the Rock Island Greenway to read the signs about frogs and bugs. It gives us an excuse to walk from shop to shop in Downtown Ruston, because the weather is just right for not having to load back into the car. I love spending Saturday mornings at the farmer’s market and the evenings watching college baseball. The air outside smells like fresh flowers and each breath I take makes my worries float away.
As much fun as I have at Mardi Gras, I can hardly wait until everything turns green again. I start to see more deer in my yard and slowly the hummingbirds and butterflies return to my mother’s garden. It’s the season of blooms and beautiful sunsets that puts everyone in a better mood. Maybe it’s just that I have a little bit of seasonal affective disorder, but I really feel like I become myself again in the Spring. It’s very fitting that I have a March birthday.
The kind of day I envision is the one where I wake up with a fresh cup of coffee and sit on my back porch, watching my crepe myrtle bloom with bright pink flowers. For lunch I like to dine on the patio of a local restaurant and enjoy the feeling of the sun on my skin.
My family spends the evenings watching my son play baseball at the sports complex and we celebrate with crawfish nights. When the moon comes out in the Spring, my husband and I like to sit on the back porch, watching the fireflies come out and listening to the sound of the cicadas.
It won’t be long before the warmth of spring melts into a humid and sticky summer. So, I’ll relish every day that I get in the Springtime. I’ll say yes to every picnic and crawfish boil while they last. Then I’ll say goodbye to my paradise until next year. But I know, living here, that there will always be something special going on to enjoy.
