We are entering one of my favorite times of the year. Spring is my second favorite season. Fall wins hands down because of football, but Spring holds its own little treasures.
First, there is the wonder and adventure of Hay Fever. Sneezing, sniffling, itchy eyes & throat, how can you not love that stuff? Well, I don’t love that stuff. Allergies are the unwanted byproduct of spring. So I’ll deal with it. Thank you, Singulair!
Aside from the usual (warmer weather (but not hot), flowers, etc.) there are a few things that make this my favorite time of year. I shall explain.
- Spring football! Auburn began spring practice yesterday. I love spring football. It’s the time of year when every team is a championship team. Each practice holds the promise of a perfect season. And then there is the spring game. We’re about 80% certain we’re going to Auburn’s spring game (the A-Day game) again this year. This is a great time to go to a game. The crowd is much smaller. The atmosphere is loose. The traffic is not horrific. Good times.
2. Baseball season! We are now less than two weeks from Opening Day. I love baseball. Behind College football it is my second favorite spectator sport, and it was always my favorite sport to play. I love watching highlights of spring training baseball. It gets me pumped up for the regular season.
I’ve been a fan of the Atlanta Braves for longer than I can remember. I remember going to games in the old Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. There were rarely more than 2000 people at the games. Chief Knock-a-homa’s teepee sat in the centerfield stands. He did a dance on the pitcher’s mound before each game. Then we would watch as Dale Murphy, Bob Horner, Bruce Benedict, and the boys tried desperately to win. The attempt was usually futile.
Every year I watch game after game. Until about June, anyway. My interest fades as the temperature rises. But those first few weeks of Baseball season are wonderful. Baseball on TV, and better yet, baseball on the radio. There are few things in this world more enjoyable than sitting on the porch on a cool spring evening and listening to baseball on the radio.
- Thunderstorms! I love thunderstorms. The stronger the better. When the weather service announces the threat of severe weather I get excited. I watch the radar. I listen to storm spotters on my scanner. I watch the skies. I love it.
My favorite memories of my time in Auburn took place in the spring. Something about spring quarter made people friendlier. You saw more smiles. You heard more laughter. Everyone seemed to be happy. To this day the thought of spring in Auburn still makes me smile.
Spring football, baseball season, and thunderstorms. I can’t think of three better reasons to love a season.
I had the coolest poster of Dale Murphy with a yellow lighted bat that hung over my bed throughout my adolescence. I, too, remember those trips to Atlanta (for us it would have been about as far as it was for you) and the ability to get the best seats the day of the game, because no one wanted to watch the losers. And I still, to this day, cheer for the Braves (though the Phillies have been adopted as my other favorite team).
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