It's the lazy man's time of year

It’s hard to turn on the TV or open the laptop without being inundated with tips on how to get ready for spring.

Prepare those vegetable beds now!

Check this list before you put that boat in the water!

Now is the time to start working on your beach body!

What you need to know about your pets as spring approaches!

I suppose people like to read that stuff as they come out of semi-hibernation. I take a more organic approach to this change of season. After all, if you do absolutely nothing to get ready for spring you’ll probably be fine.

Winter takes some preparation or it may kill you. So can summer. Fall even requires a bit of work. But spring? Really.

Every day is a little warmer than the day before, yet the bugs are still tolerable. The grass grows without watering. There’s no need for air conditioning. Kids are still in school.

It’s the lazy man’s time of year. Take a seat, pop a top, and just let it happen.

I do, however, take the advice that fits my style. A recent post on social media warned against uncovering flower and vegetable beds too soon. Another cautioned against jumping the gun on tree trimming.

I can wait.

I can sit in the sun and bide my time.

Preparation, I’ve discovered, can backfire.

Thinking I was smart. last fall I stored the lawnmower under the stair landing to the garage. Tucked behind a large storage container. It sat there all winter. I’d forgotten about it until recently when the snow that had drifted three-feet deep under the stairs melted and I was reminded of where I had parked it.

I’m sure it will start. Being buried all winter under a snowdrift can’t hurt a cheap mower? Can it?

The boats are a different deal. If they won’t start I might have to mow the grass so I’ll make sure the batteries are charged and the tanks filled. I forgot to charge the batteries in the fishing boat last spring and paid dearly, missing a day on the water for a day working in the yard.

The snow seems to have stopped for now. The sun is out and the birds are singing. There appears to be nothing to do but enjoy the new season.

And that takes little preparation.

Parker Heinlein is at [email protected]