what a difference a day makes

spring is the time of year when dailiness is most rewarded. the bursting of leaf buds, the blooming of trees, the unfurling of ferns–all experience the most change from one day to the next in springtime. it can actually be overwhelming–so much change so fast. early in STILL it gave me a bit of anxiety.  i wondered how in the world i would capture it all. now, i don’t even try. i know, from the onset, it will be like trying to drink from a fire hose…so i drink in what i can, and then enjoy the show.

magnolia blossom

weird in a good way

preposterous. that what magnolia buds and blossoms are. unnaturally large, out of proportion. wearing their fur coats over their tissue-paper then prom dresses. matter of fact, they look every bit as awkward as all the teenage girls in prom dresses i keep seeing right now. it’s 40 degrees outside, and i see them all lined up taking group photos in their impossibly thin dresses. awkward and splendid. like magnolia buds.

magnolia bud

the sounds of rain in spring

there is an ash tree in my neighborhood absolutely covered with these seed bundles. it’s looks as if none of the seeds let go last autumn and they all decided to stick around until the new leaf growth will finally pushes them off next month. i picked them today because their rich color and texture caught my attention, but i soon learned, while carrying them home, that softly shaking the branch creates a wonderfully soothing sound, like a gentle steady rain. it made my body tingle from head to toe. i’m going to try it on my husband tonight and see if it does the same thing to him. i may keep this branch around for a bit and experiment with it as a musical instrument. perhaps use it as a symbolic ritual when i transition into and out of creative work.  i like rituals. i don’t have many, expect the lighting of candles every evening to mark the end of the work day. i’ve been doing that for 20 years. i think there is power in ritual. and this little seeded branch just may be my next.

ash tree seeds

happy earth day!

i went to fill my bird feeders and found some wasps nest attached to the underside of the feeder’s caps. considering that insects are a favorite food for many birds, it seemed an odd place for wasps to choose to setup home. perhaps birds are wise enough to avoid wasps. nope, i just googled it, and indeed many bird species eat wasps. including some frequent visitors to our bird feeders: blue jays, chickadees, warblers, orioles, starlings, sparrows, and wrens. hmmm, perhaps the lure of a dry spot out of the rain is so compelling that the wasps would tempt fate with the birds in exchange for a dry overhang. well, i have no doubt the wasps have their reasons, as everything in nature has a reason. we humans may not know all the reasons yet, but i have no doubt explanations exist. while biodiversity may start with random genetic variations in offspring, nothing after that first mutation seems random at all. understanding that every single thing on this planet is contributing to the deeply interconnected, and razor thin,  web of life on this planet is paramount to our coming together to put the planet first, and our national economies and personal consumption wants second.

wasp nest collection

swirling change

april, like november is a transition month. one day sunny and warm, the next cold and wet. i have a soft spot for these transition months. they are raw. there is no where to hide. no lush green foliage, no blanket of snow. everything is exposed. the sight-lines are long. the storms are violent. it’s all so elemental. as is the loamy smell of wet duff.

maple blossom branch tips