Season of Sticks and Mud

The geese that were spending time on the pond that abuts our backyard are gone now. They have probably gone in search of better nesting ground. And only a single pair of wood ducks were swimming on the pond yesterday. There are mallards that come and go. This morning two drakes glided peacefully across the pond.

Looking out the window this morning at the pond I see a softened world, viewed through a bit of fog. You can see that the grass is greening. Though still bare limbed, I know that the trees’ leaf buds are beginning to swell and getting ready to burst open as the weather warms. Soon there will be a soft haze of green visible in the trees across the pond. And then later, it will be a riot of electric spring green as the leaves fully emerge.

There is a time in the spring after most of the leaves have emerged when I feel like the landscape vibrates with the brilliant spring green colors of the trees. It only lasts for a short time and then the colors change to a more sedate summer green. But it is my favorite time of the year. It’s also the time of year when I can go out for a bike ride and pick of the sweet scents of blooming crab apple trees, lilacs, and other blooming trees. Ahhh…what a lovely thing to look forward to.

Soon…

Season of Sticks and Mud

But now it is April, the season of sticks and mud, of life waking up, yawning and stretching, getting ready to burst into brilliant life. There are a few early wildflowers beginning to bloom already. If I could go to my favorite park (Big Willow Park in Minnetonka) I would head to a spot where a colony of bloodroot flowers always bloom early in the spring. They might be beginning to bloom now. And at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum there will be pasque flowers, bloodroot, trillium, crocus, and other early bloomers already in bloom.

 I draw comfort from seeing nature wake up from its long winter sleep with no concerns for what tomorrow might bring. The ducks are in the pond and the frogs are beginning to croak. Soon the turtles will be back on the log beside the pond, soaking up the sun.

The circle of life keeps turning, even though we humans are going through a challenging time right now. Remember that we are part of nature also. Trust that this time, our human season of sticks and mud, will pass and perhaps usher in some much needed changes.

May you too, take comfort in seeing nature wake up.

May you walk in beauty.

Note: the photos in today’s post are a mixture of recent photos and flower photos from 2013.