Spring Time in the North Country

 

Spring Time in the North Country

Spring time in Minnesota is a very interesting, exciting, and a great time of year. It is the changing of seasons, which creates some dramatic changes to the land. It all starts with the warmer weather the coming out of below freezing temps into warmer temps has a great effect on everything in Minnesota. The ice starts to thaw, and the snow begins to melt, which brings the constant sound of flowing water. All this water causes much of the land to flood, the rivers go over their banks and drowned the land bringing in soils with needed nutrients. This flooding makes the land seem so different and even mysterious. Some of the flooding is caused by great ice dams that are created by the ice chunks that get stuck as they float down stream. This water is all racing along its way to larger rivers which head south, or to lakes which it helps break them loose of their icy tomb. On Mille Lacs these small rivers that flow into the lake help every year make sure that it opens up for opener of Walleye fishing. I love going up to Mille Lacs and driving the back country roads, being able to see all these racing rivers. The warm weather, flowing rivers, and wind help break Mille Lacs lake open, and there have been mamy years where the ice sheet actually pushes up on the land, because of the wind. I remember in 2013 the ice had come up on the south end of the lake, and at Izaty’s resort the ice went through some peoples houses.

            The warm weather also comes with the harolding of birds. Song birds start singing each morning, and the great groups of waterfowl flying over. It is really enjoyable to wake up to the sound of song birds in the trees outside. I always love seeing the unique and rare ducks that live even further north, which we only get to see as they fly through on their migrations. One time while I was on my way to work I saw two Golden Eyes sitting on the open water. The great flocks of geese is an amazing sight to see, one year when I was coming home from my friends in western North Dekota I was able to see flocks of Canadian and Snow geese that numbered in the tens of thousands, when they were in flight they darkened the sky. Spring brings in the new chicks also. Many times while near Mille Lacs Lake I have watched pheasant grouse, and turkey chicks scurrying along after their parents.

            With these changes comes new life to the forests. The trees start to bud new leaves, and the grasses come up. One of the most enjoyable things is the beautiful colors of wild flowers. With the coming of flowers is the return of insects, specifically bees. As spring progresses the mammals start having babies, which brings even more new life to the world.

            This is just a small taste of what spring is really like in the north country, and every year I look forward to the season, when we stop hibernating and come out of the ice.

            As Christians we have a lot in common with spring. When we first come to have a relationship with God everything is new, and like in spring we have this new life. This new life is vibrant is full of many changes like spring brings to the land. We become excited about God and the things we learn about him, and we continue to seek him which brings us to new revelations’ and his stream of living water. Yet like the land goes from spring into summer, then fall and finally winter, we move into the other seasons of our faith during our lives. We o through in many ways all of the seasons during our faith walk, and often times we go through them many times over. When your life gets tough, just remember that like the seasons things will and do change.