During her spring walk, Barb Delisio took this view of the lily pond at Mill Creek Metro Park in Youngstown. (Submitted photo)

I think at this time of year, we’re all eager to get out in the sunshine.

Here in Ohio, we have to enjoy each day as it comes. The sun can shine one day and snow the next. So when the sun shines, we have to get out into the sunshine and take a walk.

For me, it’s the lily pond at Mill Creek Park in Youngstown. The temperature read in the high 60s and the sun was out — a perfect day to go out and enjoy the day and notice that Mother Nature enjoys it also.

When we arrived at the parking lot, it was crowded. Seems many other people had the same idea as we did. The pathway around the pond was filled with people, families, teens, old folks. Everyone was out enjoying the weather. We had our masks with us in case we got into a cluster of people. We could then just pull them on and so did everyone else.

As we started along the path, we heard the birds chirping and signs of spring popping up everywhere. The plants and animals were coming out. The periwinkle was bright green with beautiful blue / purple flowers. The hillside surrounding the pond was slowly turning shades of greens in various ground covers and the trees were budding. Looking into the pond we saw many fish, turtles, and ducks were out enjoying the sun as we were.

We stopped to read the signs describing the habitat of the ducks and the turtles all living in the same pond. Along the edges of the water were a lot of dead trees and on these trees were many turtles, large and small. One particular group of trees attracted us and many other people. Both the turtles and the ducks were sharing the same log enjoying the sunshine.

I thought of Mother Nature who did a good job of teaching her animals to share. It made me think of all the people sharing the path after this past year in being isolated in our homes and being alone. On such a beautiful day many people were all outside enjoying the sun and each other.

On the way home in the car, I noticed the forsythias finishing their bloom, the maple trees budding out, the daffodils in full bloom and the soon to bloom tulips. All of these signs of spring reminded me to go home and fertilize my hydrangeas — and to plan on keeping them growing by fertilizing again on the first of May and the first of June.

I hope all of you have enjoyed watching spring arrive, slowly, but still appearing in its majestic form.

Delisio is an Ohio State University Mahoning County Extension Master Gardener volunteer.