In this sequestered nook how sweet
To sit upon my orchard seat
And birds and flowers once more to greet
~William Wordsworth

Earlier this week I ventured out to the local nursery to buy some potting soil, and when I turned into the nursery’s parking lot, what greeted my eyes nearly took my breath away.  Peach trees, pear trees, plum trees–you name the fruit bearer and it was there.  And not just a few of them; there must have been hundreds of fruit-bearing trees, and all were in full bloom.  In and around the blossoms the hum of the bee was to the ear what their scent was to the nose and what their sight was to the eyes–in short, what I experienced that day was a veritable feast for the senses.  Spring’s coming is authenticated not simply by changes in the weather or a repositioning of the sun but by eyes intoxicated with incredible beauty, by noses bewitched by sweet aromas, by mouths tempted by scrumptious delights, by touch fascinated with textures, and by ears mesmerized by arias, grand and glorious.

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.  Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.  ~Song of Solomon 2:11-12