BY THATCH ELMER

Spring is right around the corner, folks. Calves are making their way into the world, mountain trees are starting to bloom a beautiful green, and a certain feeling of “we made it” is upon us.

Every year around this time, it takes me back to growing up in rural America and to how much I loved the spring season, when horses started shedding winter coats, green grass started to show from warm day snow melt, and the air was sharp and fresh. I still get this feeling, and a certain amount of excitement runs through me when the sun creeps to its highest point, and I can finally shed my coat and lean into the warmth.

I loved the feeling of not having to drain water hoses and break ice in water troughs, not having to bundle up, and not having to shovel snow. I loved watching a newborn calf run through the field and bask in the sun. I loved the days getting longer each day and the mud turning into hard ground.

And I still do…

This year, that feeling hasn’t changed one bit. I still get the same exact excitement I used to each and every day, and, this year, maybe even a bit more. I say that because this “new normal” we have lived in the last two years is starting to actually feel normal. Getting to walk into the feed store and shake a friend’s hand and getting to talk the cattle market with partners at the sale barn is something I think we have all craved throughout the last couple years. I’m grateful the new normal is back to normal.

I have full intentions on making the most out of the warm spring weather and taking in every ounce of daylight I get. I think we all should. Bring the bike out, saddle your horse, grab your light jacket, and enjoy it with me.

Spring is springing upon us, ladies and gentlemen; it’s back and better than ever. Let’s make it the best one.