Contemplating Miracles

This is the season for contemplating miracles.

The swift arrival of spring always makes me believe in miracles. All around me the emergence of fresh green leaves, migration of birds and butterflies, and blooming of early spring ephemerals in the woodlands convince me that life is an amazing miracle.

The bloodroot flower is one of the early spring wildflowers. The blossom rises and opens before the leaves of the plant have even unfurled, in a hurry to reproduce before the woodland trees that surround it unfurl their leaves and block out the sunlight. Isn’t it amazing that these plants have adapted in this way?

I found this tiny nest today in a basket of spring flowers I had hung by our front door. The house finch thought it was good place to make it’s nest and lay eggs (and perhaps another bird laid the darkly speckled egg). Look at the perfection of that tiny nest. I wonder how long it took to weave it? Isn’t it wonderful that these songbirds have adapted so well to humans that they build their nests in baskets of flowers?

All of these painted turtles over-wintered in the pond behind our house. How do they survive the freezing winters in Minnesota? Their lives are mostly hidden from us but on bright spring days they gather on this log to soak up the warmth of the sun. Aren’t they fascinating?

The mallard duck is often over-looked because it is so common. Just about everywhere you there is water you can see these ubiquitous waterfowl. But look at their glowing green heads and beautiful feathers of these birds. They are beautiful miracles.

A few days ago when I returned to Minneapolis the trees in our backyard were covered with a light haze of green. Their leaf buds were beginning to emerge. Four days later the leaves are filling in on the trees. Where we were able to see the entire pond through the bare branches, now the leaves shelter parts of the water from our view. How do trees know when to go to sleep and when to wake up? What are all of the marvelous miracles that help them to grow so tall and survive all kinds of weather?

Life is a series of miracles. I am happy to spend my life contemplating miracles.

What miracles have you contemplated today?

May you walk in beauty.

A few more seasonal photographs of the miracles and rites of spring.

This is the basket of flowers that hides the house finch nest.

I planted 3 kinds of lettuce and radishes this weekend.

The hummingbirds should be back in Minnesota soon if they’re not here already – hung up the feeder to welcome them.