Seasons

October 15, 2006

I believe this is a Carolina Wren. He has the loudest song I've heard in a long time! I made a few birdhouses from paper mache but am wondering how much sleep this little fellow would allow if he were to reside too close to our windows.

Another week has passed. It seems these days we barely turn around and its a different month. I think that's part of what I DID like living up north. There was such a huge step between seasons. I think my favorite season was spring and least favorite was fall. The firey colors of fall made it incredibly beautiful, but it was like the ending of a life... precious and totally enjoyed and yet you know that winter is coming. I loved the winters, particularly in Maine. I loved to take the girls out after a light snow. We could usually walk on top of previous snows and the new snow gave everything an amazing stillness and made everything clean and white again. We often would find little footprints and follow them.

Winters seemed interminably long sometimes. We had an antique woodstove in the dining room and a chair by it and the window, perfect for reading on cold snowy days. There were days of opening the door to find the car totally hidden under feet of snow, but more likely we'd find some snow and temperatures below zero. We always knew when it was below zero because when you walked, the snow would squeak.

The first birds to come back in the were the red wing blackbirds. What a welcome sound when they'd be out in the meadow singing for their territories. Then we knew it wouldn't be too much longer. Our first killing frost would be some time in late August and the last some time in June. We read and learned during the winters how to deal with the gardens in summer.

I used to love to walk through the orchard, meadow and fields when the snow had thawed but the ice wasn't out of the ground. It seemed like new territory and it was possible to see so many things you missed during the summers when you couldn't actually walk through boggy areas. I can remember hunting for those first promises of spring.. tiny sprouts of the rhubarb behind the barn, some of the perennials pushing up that cold dry soil in the corner between the barn and the shed... Amazing that if you took it at face value, you wouldn't expect life again where there were once thriving plants. But faith makes us know that the sun will once again warm the soil and those plants have only been resting and getting ready for another season of beauty.

It always made me think of what a miracle it is, and how its like our lives. We go through seasons in our lives, not just once overall, but now I see, quite a few times. Different phases of our lives are full blown and wonderful but yet we sense that they change inevitably and that part of our life is laid down. Yet.. we're not discouraged because like fall and winter, we know that spring is coming and there will be more things growing and flourishing. I've found that sometimes I want to go back and do things in the same way, or even do the same things. Things change and we have to look to see what the plants are that are filling our lives in the present. Yesterday is a wonderful memory - but today is alive and leading to tomorrow.

I've wondered lately if my time for planting and caring for gardens has come to a close. With all my good intentions and seed ordering, not much is making it into the soil in the yard. lol. I order seeds, start them in small containers.. and frequently allow them to simply die before being planted. I think part of my focus needs to be on larger, minimum care shrubs or perennials with a bit of time spent mulching to help prevent grass taking over everything.

I see my children (now 37 and 42) taking over where I left off. Our older daughter is planning a move into the 'wilderness' of the Green Swamp just north of here. When we were young, we thrived on it in Maine. Now.. it doesn't interest me in the least. I think part of the fun was being able to handle all the challenges .. and now, we need to find less challenging fun in other things. Its been a difficult transition for both of us. We were both all involved actively in the things of maintaining life. Now its quieter and a lot of seeing others 'maintain life'. Given a choice I'd love to know what I know now and have the energy and stamina we had then. Much smiling..