BY MATT MACKINDER
Clarkston News Staff Writer

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of visiting Independence Oaks for a photo story that ran in last week’s edition of The Clarkston News.
And while the park was lots of grays and browns, there were some signs of green.
Yes, while the calendar tells us spring arrived last month, it finally looks like the weather is changing and some of that gray and brown scenery will soon be green, yellow, red, orange, you name it.
You know how else we know that spring is about to get here? The MLB baseball season has started, the NHL and NBA playoffs are here, spring break is over, and we can start the two-month countdown until school is out.
Daylight has been lasting longer, too, so that is another sign that winter is taking a hike.
Of course, spring also means that with all that green sprouting up, we need to recharge the mowers and brace ourselves for, wait for it, yard work.
I get it. You need to clear away all the weeds that you neglected last year, only to have more come up. It’s a never-ending cycle. Then you buy something to kill the weeds, but it also takes down the grass and plants around it.
And if you’re like my wife, getting in the garden means praying and hoping a garter snake doesn’t pop up and scare the beejezus out of you. Yeah, it’s happened before. I may or may not laugh at her. (I love you, honey!)
Luckily for us, we have three sometimes-willing kids that help us get the yard and landscaping in order. Though they’d rather help take the cover off the pool and jump in, they’ll reluctantly pull weeds, help mow the grass and edge around the hard-to-get areas.
Normally, this takes up part of a Saturday and maybe a Sunday here and there.
But hey, being outside in fresh, warm air with the sun beating down and the radio blasting sure beats going out to shovel snow in December knowing there is still three, maybe four more months of that.
All that said, let’s play ball!