Photo Credit: Photo by Ivana Cajina on Unsplash
Daffodils are just now poking their heads through the thawing soil, and the smell of spring rain and flowers is in the air. With the snow departing and the temperatures rising, it is time to get up and get out in the sunshine, socialize with friends you haven’t seen all winter, and explore the world in bloom.
Struggling to come up with fun things to do this spring? We all are! It’s been a long, cold, lonely pandemic. Try these ten ways to take advantage of spring weather and enjoy yourself, both on your own and with friends.
1. Take a hike…
Spring thaw means trails that have been frozen over or taken over by cross-country skiers all winter are finally walkable once again. A hike at this time of year is a wonderful way to watch nature unfold as animals and plants prepare for the year ahead.
Find fiddlehead ferns nestled by mossy logs, caterpillars chewing on plants, ants recolonizing forgotten tracks, and deciduous trees unfurling their leaves and opening their blossoms. In much of America, this is the time for crabapple blossoms, which smell sweet and look lovely as cuttings on the kitchen counter. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, bring your dog and explore unseen smells at the side of the trail, or bring your child and splash in mud puddles.
2. … or your last ski run of the season
Perhaps the snow isn’t fully melted, and instead the ski slopes are calling for one last run. Put on your favorite T-shirt, gather a group of friends, and cast away the parka and mittens for a wet and glorious plunge down the mountain in the spring sun.
After one last tiring day on the slopes, blaze it at the base lodge and take a well-deserved smoke with your friends. The light is lasting later into the evening now, so mellow out in the long sunset as you bid farewell to winter.
3. Get as high as the birds
The birds are returning! Starlings are at your feeder and ducks flock to the lake. While bird watching is a calming, solitary activity any time of year, springtime is when birds, like you, are reclaiming life.
Whether you’re a bird watching connoisseur or you’ve never given it a second thought, cannabis can elevate the experience. While you’re high, sitting quietly on your porch or balcony, watch the hypnotic dance of gulls over the city or graceful flick and twirl of cardinals in the trees. Cannabis offers an opportunity for greater connection with nature and deeper appreciation for its creatures.
4. Try a new flavor of ice cream
The air is warm again and that means it’s time to ditch wintery desserts like warm pie for the frozen delights of summer. Make an ice cream run to your favorite creamery as they open up for the season, and grab a cone or a milkshake in a flavor you’ve never tried before. It can be eye-opening how many flavors and varieties of ice cream there are that are completely novel to you. Huckleberry ice cream, popular in the western United States, can be the perfect nightcap after an evening in the fresh, spring air, and pairs well with both alcohol and cannabis.
5. Visit a local farm
Spring is for the animals. Sheep are bleating, horses are being turned out to pasture in fresh grasses after months of hay, and young goats are being born on farms around the country. If you have children, spring is a wonderful time to visit a local farm.
Many farmers welcome families with young children to watch sheep get shorn for summer, learn about the birth of baby barnyard animals, or help feed the chickens. A farm trip is a fun and family-friendly spring adventure, but always call the farmer and ask for permission before visiting.
6. Improve your baking skills…
Throw open the kitchen windows and let in the fresh air. Now that the stale air is gone from your home, it’s time to practice your baking and let the scent of fresh-baked brownies float on the breeze.
Want to take it to the next level? Make your own edibles. If you’ve never tried baking with cannabis, conduct your research or ask an experienced friend to join you. Pick your favorite brownie or cookie recipe, and experiment to your heart’s content – be careful not to overdo it as you include ground cannabis flower. The scents and sounds of spring baking will lift your heart, spirit, and mind.
7. … and share with friends
When you’ve finished baking, you’ll likely have far too many edible delicacies to eat all on your own. Not to worry. Throw the first party of spring, and invite your friends to try your cannabis creations.
With warm sunshine and a cool breeze, nibble on your brownies while tossing bean bags on the lawn, chatting on the porch until the sun goes down, or just relaxing and simply enjoying an afternoon together without the worries that have plagued the last few pandemic-haunted years.
8. Host an outdoor movie
Oh, your friends are still here? It might be a chilly night, but the fireflies are starting to come out, and that’s a sign of fine spring weather ahead. Grab blankets, hats, and mugs of hot cocoa and set up an outdoor movie on your lawn or porch.
If you’re lucky enough to have a projector screen, you can put together a real old-school drive-in experience. What’s the best thing about watching movies outside this time of year? It’s warm enough to enjoy, but chilly enough that no bugs have come out yet, and you and your friends will grow even closer bundled up together under the stars.
9. Plant a spring garden…
Spring is the season of life, rebirth, and growth. It’s also indisputably the planting season. Get your gardening game on with a window box if you’re an urban dweller, or a new raised bed if you have the space outdoors.
Before the last frost, it’s advisable to start both flowers and vegetables indoors. Plant them as seedlings when the risk of freezing weather has passed. Soon, you’ll have a beautiful, colorful spring garden your neighbors will envy.
10. … and grow a perfect flower
Did you know you can grow cannabis outdoors? If you get consistent sunny weather with temperatures between sixty and ninety degrees, cannabis will make the perfect addition to your spring garden. Every brightly-colored arrangement needs a spot of green, so try it out for yourself and develop a green thumb this year. You’ll be happy you did when winter comes around again.
There are countless ways to explore the spring and enjoy the warm weather. Whatever you choose to do, be it on your own or with friends, have fun! Hike, ski, explore a farm, try cannabis in new places, or grow your own. The spring is your time to shine; burn bright like the sun and make this year your own.
