(Spring)
Snowmelt;
A crow cawing
In the cloudy hills.
This hokku verse was written by Gyodai and is described here, by David Coomler. The painting is by Ohara Koson and can be found here.
Today, is the first day of spring, according to ancient tradition. To read about some of the traditions, such as Candlemas, Brigid and Imbolc, click here.
Go here to learn more about Imbolc, a Celtic tradition celebrating the first day of spring.
Go to this site for information about hokku and the Wheel of the Year.
Taka Shimono 
Spring is about fertility, reproduction, and the birth of little ones that are similar to the parents. Life SPRINGS forth! And that begins very early with some species. For example, great horned owls lay their eggs typically in January and incubate them for about a month, regardless of weather. Living things sense that warmer weather is on its way and have evolved to reproduce at this time of the year. Rabbits are making bunnies, and birds are making eggs! Many wildflowers produce their flowers at this time of year. Remember that flowers are the sexual reproductive organs of those plants; they are reproducing, too. When you see a mushroom, you’re seeing the sexual reproductive organs of that species. What does Easter celebrate? Life SPRINGS forth!
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Great post, Edo, and lots of references with links 🙏
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