Spring’s Beginning
Spring has sprung. Nature is changing so quickly every day. First came the daffodils, and then the wild pear trees bloomed. Flying insects made a debut, and four baby bats have been out hunting them at dusk. Once the sun drops below the horizon, the loud croaks of hundreds of frogs dominate the soundscape, while a large herd of deer beds down in the pasture.
The fire pit already needs to be emptied of ash, and smoky clothes fill the hamper from time spent next to the fire, sipping cold beer in the relaxing chairs. The Traeger grill has been hard at work, smoking ribeyes, chicken wings, meaty pork ribs, tomatoes, and tomatillos for the evening festivities.
Right now, I’m writing this from the couch in my writing room. The sunshine is pouring in through the windows, where I can see the greening grass and dandelions. The tall pines seem happy, swaying next to the deciduous trees, whose leaves are sprouting. I imagine the pines missed interacting with their friends while they were dormant. The large Chinese privets that line the west side of the property are already green and lush.
The water at the local reservoir is a few feet low, but I’ve already made it to the water twice to fish. These first fishing trips are more practice than purpose. The fish aren’t quite ready to move up from the depths, and I’m still working the rust out of my forgotten routine. On my first trip, I forgot my paddle. Though it’s not the principal method of propulsion on my kayak, a paddle comes in handy when the water gets too skinny.
The only time I miss the cold is when my wife and I run. If we’re running five miles or fewer, it’s not too bad, but long runs have become intense. Last year, spending more time outside helped me acclimate faster, so that’s something I’m working on, too.
I wrote and posted the foreword for my new blog series on this website, Woods & Water | Reflections On Nature. This series features short writing pieces about the natural world. Check out my recent post, Daffodils, here. Right now, I’m working on a piece about the wild pear trees. This year has also brought a more lengthy writing project called ECHOES | Letters To My Younger Self. You can check out both the foreword and the first essay, Finding Your Path, here. I’m about halfway through the draft of the second essay, Know Thyself.
And just like that, the winter gloom has disappeared, and life has gone from brumation to creation. I hope you and yours are doing well. Be sure to get outside this spring, especially before the biting bugs are out in full force.