daffodils

Everything – ND #104

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Brutus Discovers Daffodils – Photo: L. Weikel

Everything

In the midst of everything (and I will leave it up to you to imagine what ‘everything’ might mean to me), I managed to experience some exquisite beauty today. And since it’s probably a safe bet that my definition of everything and your definition of everything probably share a great deal in common, I want to offer you a glimpse of what I saw today.

Remember when these little ones first came into our life back in October? They’ve grown so much, it’s hard to believe they’ve never experienced Spring before. All these intriguing flowers springing forth from the ground definitely have them flummoxed. This is especially true because both Pacha and Brutus (but especially Pacha) are seriously into eating sticks.

That means, of course, that when they start noticing delicacies poking their heads through the soil where they’ve never seen such plants before, they literally act as though they’re hallucinating. Their stubborn refusal to leave the plants alone and keep moving brought home to me the fact that they haven’t ever experienced the bonanza of sights and smells that Spring brings. I forgot! This is all new to them!

“Mmm. Smells good.” – Photo: L. Weikel

I’ve Given Up

There is no point in me saying, “Drop it!” anymore, especially after the warmth of this past weekend. Wow. Even I was taken by surprise by the transformation of our landscape. There is simply so much available now for puppies to put in their mouths! And who wouldn’t want to taste the rainbow?

But then I have a moment when I see Brutus really take in his first experience of daffodils and crocuses and I know why so many of us fall for newbies of every kind (kittens, puppies, babies…). It’s the innocence. It’s the pure delight in discovering something totally new that bends our senses.

“Mommy, I need to get just – a – little – closer!” Photo: L. Weikel

I Haven’t Forgotten

I’m still paying attention. The ‘everything’ I mentioned in my first paragraph continues to unfold all around us. But I’m taking a moment.

We are able to relish the circumstances Ukrainians are fighting to the death over at this very moment. War is not my personal experience in this moment. But beauty and joy are. Optimism and second chances and new horizons are, too.

I feel the suffering of others, but I also want to celebrate the relative peace I’m experiencing in this moment. It’s incumbent upon us to savor this. All of it.

Take a moment. Look around. Let your heart feel the hope that’s reflected in the daffodils and jonquils. Crocuses and wild violets.

(T+104)

Spring Arrives Tomorrow – ND 102

Posted on by Lisa Weikel 2 Comments
Approaching Thunderstorm – Photo: L. Weikel

Spring Arrives Tomorrow

It’s quiet tonight, and I even have the front door flung wide open to take in the sounds of whomever might still be awake. The peepers were in full throat earlier, but the only voice I hear now is the wind’s, sighing through the tops of the pine trees across the way. Perhaps all the creatures fell asleep when they hunkered down during the thunderstorm that rolled through earlier. Spring arrives tomorrow, riding the coattails of the lightning that lit up the sky tonight.

As much as I love the peepers and tree frogs, though, I’m rarely disappointed when silence is the prevailing theme for the evening. In this moment, I feel like silence is an especially rare gift that those of us lucky enough to have it should receive with gratitude – and awe.

Daffodils Amid Ice – Photo: L. Weikel

Life Bursts Forth

The warmth of the past two days has caused a virtual eruption from within the soil. Croci and daffodils bloomed in a cacophony of color yesterday. With so much of our attention on the war and carnage in Ukraine, it seems almost weird to witness Nature’s relentless surge toward expression.

Weird, but are any of us truly surprised? I doubt it. We all know, if we’re honest, that humans may end up killing ourselves. But Nature will almost certainly survive. (I’d say it’s certain, but I don’t want to jinx it. Never challenge our species in the whole ‘who can make things worse’ category. If anything, ‘We’re number one!’ when it comes to that. Woohoo!)

Full Virgo Moon

Last night, the moon reached her peak fullness. A neighbor had a lovely full moon fire in the middle of her forest. It was gorgeous to witness as we wrapped up an early evening walk. At first it seemed risky but it was clear she had built it just so and neither a tree nor a leaf budding forth was in danger of being singed. In fact, the flames licking upward caused deep orange shadows to dance on the bodies of all the trees serving as sentinels.

A moon cycle comes to its apex. A season of introspection and rejuvenation ends.

Let’s envision skies that are quiet and peaceful rippling out across the world. A new season. A new way of being.

And precisely as I wrote the words of that last sentence, the eerie, unexpected bray of a donkey echoed throughout our little hamlet.

(T+102)

Walk Without a Jacket – ND #66

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
Fox or Hyena? I pick Hyena – Photo: L. Weikel

Walk Without a Jacket

Deep down, I didn’t believe them. The prognosticators promised today would be even more brilliant than yesterday, but it sounded too good to be true. And yet the prediction was so accurate, I was actually able to take a walk without a jacket. In February.

Even better, though, were the clouds. Oh my goodness. It feels like it’s been ages since the clouds came out to play. Wispy feathers of clouds were the instrument of choice in today’s sky.

The one I loved the most was the one I placed at the beginning of this post. Is it a visitation by Fox or Hyena? At first I was confident the creature prancing across the expanse of sky was Fox. But now that I’m looking at it here at home, I’m getting a much stronger Hyena vibe.

I’m pretty sure it’s the ears. As weird as it sounds, they remind me of the ears of the hyenas in one of my favorite Disney films, Lion King.

Of course, we all know someone else I hold near and dear who has huge ears. Yes, I’m looking at you, Pacha.

Pacha Pup Playing Coy – Photo: L. Weikel

Daffodils

As I wrote last night, I noticed the daffodils breaking out of the ground during my walk yesterday but declined to take their photo. Well, they beckoned to me when I passed them again today and this time I couldn’t resist.

I know full well the daffodils (and croci, for that matter) will handle a return to winter weather in stride. But still. I hate to see their hopeful stretches toward the sun turn brown.

Phoenix?

Perhaps a tad less obvious than the hyena was the glimmer of a phoenix rising on the horizon. Hey, with even just the barest tangential tracking of the news lately, it only seems right to look for hope wherever we can find it. And Phoenix energy, rising from its ashes as it does, is a decent cloak for a Cloud Being to don.

I almost lost my head today simply reveling in the freedom of walking without a jacket. Believe it or not, I came perilously close to skipping. Good grief, what a sight that would’ve been!

If you haven’t had a chance to revel in the weather these past two days, you have one more day. Be your own sweetie and treat yourself to the bliss of turning your face to the sky and soaking in Vitamin D from the Source.

Who knows what’s in store for us in the days ahead. Nurture yourself now.

Daffodils in February – Photo: L. Weikel

(T+66)