Spring Ahead with Trivia - Barbara Baker

 

Goodbye winter. Hello spring. Another round of setting clocks ahead is behind us as well as all the rant on social media about why we continue with this practice. Some people blame farmers for screwing with our circadian rhythm, but they're not the culprits. Cows and crops rely on the sun. Not clocks. Maybe that’s why Saskatchewan ignores time change.

In 1895, George Hudson, an entomologist, made the first attempt to introduce time change. He wanted the world to go ahead two hours in the spring so he could hunt bugs in daylight after his day-job ended. He was unsuccessful with his request.

Time change kicked in during WW1 and WW2 to optimize daylight hours and conserve energy. After each war, it was up to jurisdictions to decide whether they stuck with it. In the winter of 1974, permanent daylight-saving time came into play and children started walking to school in the dark. Hello logic.

But now I’m over time change and have moved onto hello spring. The hunt for the first crocus, first dandelion sighting and of course watching birds as they construct or renovate their nests.   

I checked some of my favourite nesting sites. Unfortunately, the great horned owl's home was gone. When I found the pile of sticks scattered at the base of the tree, my heart sank. Great horned owl parents raised their fuzzy owlets here for over a decade.

I went down the Google rabbit hole to determine whether owls rebuild in the same place. What I read, shocked me. Owls typically do not build their own nest. What? How did I not know this? They apparently take over a suitable nest from another bird and spruce it up to their liking. I’m a huge owl fan. Should I think less of them for being opportunists? Or more of them for conserving their energy?

Later that day I discovered owls aren't the only opportunists. A ballsy Canadian Goose honked at me from it's perch high in the tree. Last spring a bald eagle lived there with an unobstructed view of the Bow River. Maybe I have never given geese enough credit. Maybe they are smart.  

But the first flight for her goslings will be a true test of wing power.

Geese can be cheeky buggers.

And the bald eagle moved on, seemingly unperturbed about the nest thief.

Cowbirds don’t steal nests. They merely deposit their eggs in an already furnished home. If the eggs in the nest she selects are white with beige specks, the cowbird will lay her eggs with the exact same colour pattern.

After the cowbird lays her eggs (sometimes as many as six) in the unsuspecting nest of, let’s say, Mrs. Red-Winged Blackbird, she might peck tiny holes in the host’s eggs. This way her chicks won’t have to compete for food or attention. When Mrs. Cowbird leaves, she doesn’t go far. She sticks around for a while to keep an eye on her eggs.

Mrs. Cowbird may be a negligent mom, but she wants to make sure Mrs. Red-Winged Blackbird has adequate mothering skills. If she dares to push out any of Mrs. Cowbird’s eggs, well, female cowbirds have a way of getting even. She will return to the nest when it’s unattended and toss out the original eggs.

When Mrs. Red-Winged Blackbird proves she’s a worthy foster mother, Mrs. Cowbird flies away to enjoy her freedom. In just a few weeks, she’ll flit her wings at another dashing male cowbird and the process repeats itself. As for her young, they grow up knowing they're cowbirds without their mother ever being around.

Nature is fun and funny. 

And Mother Nature has a wicked sense of humour. She can still turn on the snow-switch randomly for a few more months.

 

 

You can contact me at: bbaker.write@gmail.com

Summer of Lies: Baker, Barbara:9780228615774: Books - Amazon.ca

What About Me?: Sequel to Summer of Lies : Baker, Barbara: Amazon.ca: Books

Two Easters

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This year my family is celebrating two Easters…one in America and one in Greece.

Elysian mysteries in ancient Greece celebrate rebirth after death in winter. In modern Greece, Easter celebrations connect with the Christian Orthodox faith.

In Greece...Easter means RED eggs!

  

...and candles at midnight

There have been accounts of dying and rising gods for thousands of years of our history…the resurrection of Egyptian Horus, Mithras, worshipped at Springtime, Dionysus, resurrected by his grandmother. All the stories highlight fertility, conception, renewal, descent into darkness, and the triumph of light over darkness or good over evil. They represent the cycle of the seasons and the stars.

The goddess Eostre

From Lakota scholar Tristan Picotte, here's a New World view: “For many Native American cultures, the seasons also coincide with certain traditions and beliefs. The arrival of warmer weather signals the return of animals and plants. Beautiful greens roll across the plains and mountains, and wildlife forages in the area. Tribes recognize this as the time to gather, confer with one another and make decisions that affect the community as a whole. For our ancestors, these gatherings decided who got to go where, how adversarial tribes were to be handled, and what new resources were available.”

The name of our holiday, Easter, comes from Eostre, goddess of Spring, also Ostara, Austra, and Eastre. She is a spirit of renewal.

The Latin name for Easter, Pascha is derived from the Hebrew Pesach, meaning Passover. Both holidays celebrate rebirth – in Christianity through the resurrection of Jesus, and in Jewish traditions through the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.

Whether you observe a religious holiday or the coming of Spring, I wish you a happy spirit of rebirth.

Some Spring Celebrations

 

         Spring marks the end of winter and the beginning of summer. The vernal equinox, falling on March 21, when the length of the day and night are equal, marks the beginning of spring.

        Since ancient times, the vernal equinox has been celebrated in many cultures around the world. In Christianity, Lent is the prominent spring-time observance, signifying Christ’s sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for forty days, while Easter, appropriately enough, marks the celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Indeed, many other cultures, such as the ancient Egyptian, celebrated the rebirth of their main Deity Osiris, every year during this period.

In Persia, the festival of Nowruz, which dates back to the pre-Islamic Zorastrian civilization, is celebrated joyfully, even in present times. It is Iran’s New Year, and is observed by visiting friends, family, and sharing meals.

        The popular Hindu festival of Holi occurs in Spring as well. Also known as the ‘Festival of Colors,” it is a time of celebration, merry-making, love, and forgiveness. Children (and adults) throw colored powders and water on each other, all in good fun. While mostly observed in India, it has now spread to other places in the world.

        By far the largest festival in China, the Spring equinox marks the start of the country’s Lunar New Year. A seven-day festival. It features the iconic red lanterns, dragon dances, fireworks, banquets and parades. Exuberant celebrations are held all over the world.

Best wishes to all on the Spring equinox!

 

        Mohan Ashtakala (mohanauthor.com) is the author of "Karma Nation," a literary romance and "The Yoga Zapper," a fantasy. He is published by Books We Love. (www.bookswelove.com)