It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ~Charles Dickens

Happy Spring Season, lovely readers! I know it’s been a particularly long winter for many; some of you witnessed ultra-thick blankets of snow this year.

Blessed springtime is here. It’s a mild 73-degree sunny day in Hallandale Beach. It might still be a tad chilly where you are, but if it doesn’t warm up quickly soon, you could always make like a bird and fly South.

In the coming days and weeks, the quintessential representation of spring–the cherry blossom–will bloom, calling to mind and heart springtime’s beauty at its best.

Roughly two weeks later, these delicate flowers will fall from these magical trees, reminding us how temporary the wonders of nature can be.

Luckily for most of us, spring lasts longer than two weeks. In South Florida, we’ll enjoy plenty of sunny days in the coming weeks and months. But by middle or late spring, most of the people I know down here will have closed their windows and doors to run the AC 24/7. Once summer arrives, warmth will have given way to high heat and high humidity. By then, the only thing I’ll really want to be doing outside during the day is pouring refrigerated gallons of water on myself.

So because down here in South Florida, mild weather is as fleeting as a cherry blossom, I’m determined to celebrate the gorgeous spring season with outdoor activities. Here’s my list of five musts for Spring 2010:

#1 – There must be at least one picnic.

#2 – There must be swimming. Preferably in saltwater. For those of you further inland, fresh water will do if there’s no sea closeby. And if you’re in a desert-like area, you can play in the sprinklers. Ignore the stares from your neighbor.

#3 – There must be kite-flying. I never did this growing up, and feel that Spring 2010 is the time to start.

#4 – There must be a barbecue. Not at my house though–I live in a condo with strict no-grilling rules. But if you invite me and my other half over to use your grill, we’ll gladly bring the very best cuts of meat.

#5 – There must be sowing. I plan to grow my first batch of watermelon this year. I actually don’t like to eat watermelon–but my husband and family love it, I’d really like to succeed at it, and in the words of Canadian writer Margaret Atwood, “in the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” I intend to plant the seeds at my parents’ house since they have a backyard. Hopefully at the end of summer 2010, some people (other than myself) will be enjoying the sweet juicy flesh of homegrown melon.

Do any of you have springtime traditions? Please share!