It’s all about the spring gardens. We’ve worked together to plant an apple tree and a plum tree, both dwarf varieties. These trees will have to be surrounded with a wire fence to keep the deer from feasting on the young bark and leaves.
The Holy Toledo has just returned from a complete inspection of the freshly disturbed soil and the new inhabitants. He sees every newly dug patch of ground as the fulfillment of his fondest dreams and is very effusive in his praise…read that...he’s rolling around like a chicken taking a dust bath. I wish I could catch a picture but he becomes stand offish when I bring the camera out.
As I sit writing the sound of hummingbirds fills the air. The first hummer knocked at the window next to the feeders traditional spot looking for nectar on March 27th. Over the last weeks the tribe has arrived en masse. There are two dozen and more of these warrior birds vying for nectar at our one feeder now. It’ll take two feeders to handle the onslaught when their chicks start feeding in July before they leave. The trees, bushes, clothes line and wisteria arbor serve as hummingbird shelter while two to six birds feed from the four openings. The females with their more muted plumage will feed together without a ruffle between them. Younger males will share space with females; fully mature males use the sound of their flight, their beaks and high whistles to intimidate other males and unrelated females away so he will often feed alone. Between the feeder and the surrounding gardens full of hummer friendly blooms we nurture a new generation of hummers every year.
The growing spurt of spring is strong; I am caught in the waves and feeling some trepidation about being in a trough with great heights of water above my head. Then I am heightened and steadying myself against sticking to the sky. These surges of energy bring up memories of seasickness and my stomach wavers with nausea. Postcard like scenes of my life with bubble descriptions of what we’re looking at, have come up repeatedly as I’ve read this book about writing (Spirit Writing by Lynn Andrews). Scenes with bad feelings and their conclusions, or not, it is a choice.
The stained glass pieces in the picture above were a gift from a favorite student, some of her first glass on concrete work.
1 comment:
God Morning to You!
A very clear and awesome beauty of Spring:) I can especially see the beloved "Holy Toledo" rolling in the dirt:) The Hummingbirds parading around the feeders as well!
Ahh.. your mentioning of "sea sickness" reminds me of those first days aboard the USS Kaufman. By this I mean, regarding the ship and us getting underway for the first time.
The seas leading out of the harbour onto the Atlantic were very rough on that winter day and most of the crew actually took to their "racks" for nearly 24hrs. to adjust to being at sea. I remember experiencing a moment or two of this sea sickness however; it quickly pass and I cannot recall that experience, returning anymore!
The thought of going onto the oceans continue to pass my being, pretty much on a daily basis and I would even welcome the chance to experience another moment of sea sickness for the chance to go out on to the oceans again:)
Love,
Tim
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