A Sure Sign of Spring

           “I saw a Robin!” Elle shouted as she looked out the window. Her kids had heard this explanation before and knew it was a sure sign of spring.

           Tommy loved his mom’s excitement but felt compelled to ask, “Mom, you say that once each year. Why do you know it is spring when you see a Robin?”

           Spring was Elle’s favorite season, and it was always a pure joy when she saw that first Robin each year. She had heard birds singing for a couple of weeks, but this was the first time she actually saw a Robin this year.

           With a twinkle in her eyes, she excitedly replied, “Boys, come sit down here in front of the sliding glass door.” They all sat down with legs crisscrossed. The boys looked at their mom. They knew from the huge smile on her face that they were in for quite a story.

           “You boys know spring is my favorite season,” Elle enlightened them with excitement in her voice.

           “Yeah, we know,” grumbled Tommy and his brother Paul.

           “New life is just bursting!” Elle exclaimed with delight. Not only are new plants popping out of the ground, like the purple crocuses in our front gardens and the yellow daffodils in the backyard, but birds like Robins return to Chicago!”

           Paul cautiously asked, “Where did they go?”

           “Oh, when the weather starts to get cold in the fall, they head to other places that are warmer. They don’t like the snow and the cold weather,” Elle patiently responded.

           “Oh, oh, you mean like when Grammy and Gramps go to Arizona right before Christmas?” Tommy blurted with a great connection.

           “That’s a great connection, Tommy! Your grandparents DO NOT LIKE our Chicago winters!” Elle added.

           “The birds have another reason for heading to warmer weather,” Elle continued.

           Paul squeaked, “Do they like to golf, too?”

           “That’s crazy, Bro! Birds can’t golf!” Tommy bellowed with disgust. “They have wings, not arms and hands, plus they’d never be able to wear those goofy hats and pants Gramps wears."

           Elle cut in, “Now, Boys, be nice and just listen. What do birds like to eat?”

           “Seeds,” Paul proudly answered.

           “Right, what else? What do they pull out of the ground with their beaks?” Elle asked.

           “WORMS!” the boys answered in unison.

           “The slimier the better,” Tommy added. “I heard they taste better that way.”

           With a laugh, Elle commented, “Bing, bing, bing. You are absolutely right! That’s part of the problem.”

           “What’s wrong with worms? I love worms! Well, I don’t want to eat them, but I think they are way cool!” Paul commented.

           “Nothing is wrong with worms. I like worms, too, especially when we go fishing. But think about it. What usually covers the ground in the winter? I will give you a hint. It is white and cold, and it falls from the sky,” Elle questioned with a sparkle in her eyes.

           “SNOW!” the boys shrieked together with excitement.

           “Bing, bing, bing. Right again, my smart boys. And even when we don’t have snow, the ground is often hard and could be frozen hard. The Robins cannot reach the worms to pull them out of the ground. And the plants and trees do not drop seeds in the winter to give them food to eat,” Elle explained.

           “I know how much you guys like worms, but do you know what else that Robins eat that you like? And it’s not ice cream. They could crawl or fly, and I don’t like to see them in the house. They are usually pretty tiny,” Elle hinted.

           “I know!” blurted Paul. “Bugs!”

           “You are correct. The Robins can’t dig up bugs either when the ground is frozen and snow covered. It would be really hard for Robins to find food in Chicago in the winter,” Elle explained.

           “Oh no! The Robins would not have anything to eat. That is terrible! I know I could not survive without food! I would starve!” stated Paul with a sad look on his face.

           Tommy broke his brother’s thought, “Do not worry, Bro. I think Mom is trying to tell us that is why some birds travel in the winter to warmer places where they can find food.”

           Elle smiled down at her boys, but Paul inquired, “Is that why Gramps is in such a hurry to get to Arizona? He loves to eat like me. He could come to our house. You would feed him, wouldn’t you, Mom? Does he know he could eat at our house in the winter?”

           “Of course I would feed Gramps and Grammy. They would be able to find food in Chicago. Going to Arizona is a vacation for them. They have friends there, and they can be outside most of the time where it’s not as cold. The roads and sidewalks are not slippery and dangerous in Arizona in the winter,” replied Elle.

           Tommy asked, “Do any other birds leave Illinois in the winter?

           “Oh, sure. Lots of other birds leave Chicago in the winter: Geese, Blackbirds, Swallows, Hummingbirds, Warblers, Thrush and many others,” Elle responded.

           Paul wondered, “Where do they go?”

           Elle scratched her head, “I wish I had a map in front of me. The birds go south and east of us, to some states in the southern part of the United States, to Mexico and maybe even to Central and South America.

           “You know one reason I’m happy when the Robins come back to Chicago after the winter?” asked Tommy.

           “Why?” wondered Paul. “Is it because the worms can come out of the ground again?

           Tommy was quick to answer, “No. It means Grammy and Gramps are coming back to Chicago soon! I miss them when they are gone.”

           Elle couldn’t help but smile. “That’s another great reason to celebrate spring.”

           The three sat looking out the window for a while. Paul yelled, “I see a Robin!”

           Tommy chimed in, “There’s another one, and she’s pulling a big, juicy worm out of the ground!”

           Their excitement was broken by the sound of the doorbell ringing. The boys ran to the door, opened it and shrieked, “Grammy, Gramps! You are here! Spring is really here!”