Spring is my favorite season. I love it so much I was willing to get up at 3 a.m. to welcome it properly. The vernal equinox is the official onset of spring, happening at an exact moment in time. This year, that moment was March 20 at 4:01 a.m.
I wasn’t about to let it pass unnoticed. So, I grabbed my dog, hopped in my car, and drove 30 minutes to one of my favorite places—Deephaven Beach, in Deephaven, Minnesota.
Spring Is a New Beginning & Time of Renewal
The onset of spring reminds me of new beginnings. Who doesn’t need a new beginning? I know I do, more often than I care to admit. Spring is full of fresh starts. Everything that’s been buried under the snow, asleep, starts waking up. New life. Renewal. Resurrection. It reminds me of another resurrection—that of Jesus, one that many people reflect on this time of year.
Most people call it Easter. Some call it Resurrection Sunday. It always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon that follows the vernal equinox. That full moon is known as the Paschal full moon.
Paschal is another word for Easter—it comes from Latin and also means Passover. It’s why we sometimes call this the Paschal season.
And speaking of Paschal things… have you ever seen a Pasqueflower?
Pasqueflowers and the Paschal Season
The Pasqueflower blooms in April, around Easter. The name “pasque” comes from “paschal,” meaning “of Easter.”
The Easter flower is a beauty. Fine, feathery leaves, bell-shaped flowers, and fluffy plumed seed heads. I used to see them during April, near the woods at the Northland Arboretum in Brainerd, Minnesota.
This year, we celebrate Easter—the resurrection of Jesus—April 20. Honestly, I don’t think anyone really knows the exact date of Jesus’ resurrection. But for me, it’s something to recognize every day of the year.
As a kid, I loved Easter traditions. My mom used to put a big basket of jelly beans and chocolate bunnies on the dining room table, early in the morning. She would also hide chocolate eggs in the living room. Candy for breakfast! Yeah…
I won’t be eating chocolate bunnies or hunting for eggs this year. I’ll be hiking in the Rockies with my kiddo, Hannah. She’s my own little burst of spring—always full of life and energy.
The Journey to Deephaven Beach
At 3:20 a.m. and we were on the road. The sky was mostly clear, with a glowing halo around the moon. I was hopeful for stars. City lights always get in the way, but the beach was further out, offering more opportunity to see the night (er, early morning) sky.
As I drove into Deephaven, I passed Leroy Street—where my best friend used to live. Now she’s in another state, not just a block away. At the end of Leroy? Jericho Road, where I lived all of my junior high and high school years. It was fun having my best friend two blocks away. (Honestly, I still miss it!)
I can’t count how many times we walked or rode our bikes to the beach. Playing in the sand, floating on air mattresses, giggling over the lifeguard we all had a crush on. His name was Tom. He did the butterfly stroke back and forth across the water, and we thought he was just about the coolest thing ever. Tan and older. Yes, a teenage girl’s fantasy boyfriend.
I drove through the neighborhood around the beach. It was packed with houses, trees, and memories.
I pulled in ten minutes before spring.
Arriving at the Beach: A Moment Before Spring
The wind had a bite to it. Ice still clung to parts of the lake, though the shoreline was open. The moon’s halo had disappeared, and I could see some stars.
I walked past the docks where my dad’s boat used to be. So many memories on that boat.
By the time I reached the end of the dock, it was 3:57. Four minutes to spring.
I sat in the cold, wind at my back, darkness wrapped around me, the stars bright overhead. I spotted the Big and Little Dipper. I looked for Orion, a favorite constellation, but couldn’t find him.
At exactly 4:01, I lay on my back, staring up, listening to the water lapping against the shore. I was hoping for something monumental—maybe a shooting star, a sign that spring had officially arrived.
But there was nothing.
Just me, alone on the dock, welcoming a new season. And that was enough. Because the monumental was coming. In the days ahead, life would begin to burst forth. I realized I was grinning. And I knew, all of creation was celebrating with me.
Finding Breakfast and Chasing the Sunrise
At 4:15 I decided not to go home—I wouldn’t be able to sleep. So, I made a new plan:
1. Find breakfast.
2. Find a spot on the west side of the lake to watch the sunrise.
I found an open restaurant about six miles away. Eggs. Sausage. Coffee. Fuel for my next adventure.
By the time I got back to the lake, the blue hour was setting in. I had decided to drive to the west side (Deephaven Beach is on the east) so I could get a good view of the sun rising across the lake.
The Magic of the Blue Hour
The blue hour is that dreamy time just before sunrise. Everything is deep, rich blue—soft light, shifting shadows, a world caught between night and day. I love this time of morning. Always have.
I decided to document the color changes, taking a photo every 15 minutes.
6:30 a.m.
A quiet, blue world.
6:45 a.m.
The sky was brightening, and the animals were up before the sun. I spotted a muskrat on some ice, a duck paddling around, birds starting their morning songs.
The blue hour was brighter.
7:00 a.m.
The world was coming into focus. The muskrat—or was it a beaver?—was still out there. The ice formations shimmered as the water rippled around them.
A pair of geese flew in, skimmed the water, circled, and landed.
7:15 a.m.
A pair of mallards joined me.
I couldn’t see the sun actually break the horizon—trees blocked the view. But the sky had shifted, glowing warm. And I liked my view.
Sunrise on the First Day of Spring
I was about to leave, but I changed my mind. The sun was officially up, but I hadn’t seen it yet. Its location was a bit to my right and the treetops still blocked it. I waited for the blazing orb to show itself. When it did, another grin spread across my face.
Morning had broken. Spring had arrived. I was satisfied.
There’s something special about watching the world wake up. There’s something special about spring.
Final Reflections: The Everlasting Spring
As I drove home, I thought about the weeks ahead. The trees would bud, the ice would melt, and soon, everything would be bursting with life.
Don’t you think spring is wonderful?
Where I live, in Minnesota, it’s just another season. But the life it brings? That’s something that lasts.
Spring lives in my heart every single day. Like that resurrection that happened so long ago.
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