Shifting Seasons

 

                        Shifting Seasons

I was moved when I looked at the leafless tree. It seemed to be reaching up to embrace the sky. It will be like that through the winter months, allowing us to see its inner strength before it covers its bareness with beautiful greenery in Spring. 

It reminded me of our hopes that seem so barren in troublesome times, like the world is going through right now. We need to remember that we are strong underneath, that things change and that the world is flexible. If we can hold onto the understanding that life often shifts like the seasons, perhaps the beauty of humanity will come back into season.

 

Not So Ordinary

 

                                Not So Ordinary

The ordinary things that we see are easy to pass by. We take them for granted and move on to whatever is next. But maybe if we allow ourselves to look at things differently, we may notice something new about the usual.

I like to take a walk each day. It’s a simple exercise that gets me out of the house and helps me to see beyond my own walls. Most of the time I just follow the same routine and see the same things though every now and then I’m startled to see a different view of something ordinary.

On one of our trips, the woman who cleaned the rooms put out towels on our bed that looked like swans! It perked us up after a busy, tiring day and encouraged us to be present to what we were seeing.

 The ordinary can be calming because we don’t have to pay it any attention but viewing things in a new way can help us expand ourselves and have fun at the same time.

Artist Helgo Stentzel looks at things from a wonderfully wider perspective:

https://www.helgastentzel.com/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Goodbye Tree

 

Goodbye Tree

My neighborhood was built up fifty years ago on what was then an apple orchard. Houses were constructed, gardens were planned, people moved in. Maple and oak trees were planted on the grass at the curb in front of each house. Everything looked fresh and growing. We moved in years later, delighted by all that we saw.

But things move on. The trees grew tall and broad and provided the streets with welcome shade on hot summer days. Sometimes, though, their roots pulled up the sidewalk cement. Sometimes their branches rose high up to the wires that provided the houses with electricity. Recently, a crew was out sawing away at one of the mature trees. When the work was finished,  the thick branches and sawed trunk lay on the street, a reminder of how big the tree had grown.  

It was sad. I thanked the tree for sharing its life within our community for so long. Then looking beyond, I could see that new trees, self-planted, were rising down the block. It was a reminder that even though there are challenges, life can be resilient.

Ahh Autumn

 

                                        Ahh, Autumn

It’s officially Autumn. The weather traditionally would be cooling down on its way to greet Winter. But this has been a strange season, weatherwise. Fewer jackets are being worn than expected and it’s not unusual to see kids still in shorts. Temperatures have been way warmer than average. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap the sun’s heat and have been warming Earth’s atmosphere.

It seems like a warmer Fall would alter the timing of when leaves change their color but trees seem to know better. The leaves are glowing with brilliant reds and yellows and starting to fall in huge numbers. I used to like to crunch them when I walked down the street. I still do.

Ahh, Autumn. It remains its beautiful self. Now it’s time to get out the rake and gather the fallen leaves. Crunch, crunch, crunch.

 

Blue to New

 

Blue to New

The sky was clear blue this morning like a calm sea that you could see deeply through. Later in the afternoon some wispy clouds started to appear, creating a breathtaking impressionistic painting across the sky. Later in the day, the sky was covered with thin, white clouds as if a sheet had been stretched across the trees.

Rain was being predicted for the end of the day and the air seemed to be following the forecast. The white clouds turned darker gray and soon drizzles started to tap on the ground. The rain increased for a while and then the clouds moved on, leaving a new, clear evening to appreciate.

The sky was dramatic as it shifted from clear to cloudy to rainy and back again. The process was hard to ignore. It made me think of how our energy moves throughout the day. Sometimes it is calm and peaceful, sometimes dark and worrisome, but it is always something to observe. Remembering the path of the sky on that day helps me to put things in perspective, to recognize that life moves along and to respect the flow. 

 

Turtles Sunbathing

 

Turtles Sunbathing

We were out for the afternoon on a hot, late summer day, walking through the woods at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge in Philadelphia. We came upon the lake where flowers were blooming and greens were flourishing. I assumed that there would be fish swimming around as there were signs saying No Fishing, but I didn’t see any. Was it too hot for them to peek out of the cool water?

There were some logs among the plants in the water. And there, on top of the wood, were turtles! They seemed to be enjoying the lazy, sunny day. Just hangin’ out and bathing in the afternoon sun.

I remember having a turtle pet when I was nine years old. It lifted its head when I walked near its cage, expecting food, I suppose,  but I was always glad to take it from its tank and share part of my day with it. I hope that these turtles are able to find food. And I thank them for being visible on such a hot summer day.

Turtles are such interesting creatures. They’ve been around for an extremely long time and have lots of varieties. Here are some amazing photos:

https://www.dogov/blog/13-turtle-ly-awesome-photos-world-turtle-day

A Museum Tree

                                                         A Museum Tree

Trees and neighborhoods mature together. Many of the trees were planted near the curb and have grown so big, with expanding roots, that they started raising the cement nearby and had to be removed. They are also often taken down when they interfere with above-ground wiring.

Sometimes trees reach their life span and start losing their leaves, eventually remaining as just a trunk with bare branches. Most of the time they will be chopped by the township and no one will know that they had once been providing beauty and shade and nesting places for local birds.

So it was quite the surprise when I came upon the trunk of a dead tree that was artfully transformed! It was sculpted and painted and stood as something that could be in a museum. It was a delight to see and it made me remember that we can be creative in all sorts of ways. I am delighted each time I pass that tree and I  hope that other residents appreciate it as well.  

 

Double Rainbow

There it was, up above the rain-drenched roofs, arched over the trees – a magnificent  rainbow! It spanned across the sky, in a brightly colored arch, wide over the street.

That would have been enough to see but then above the rainbow was another arch. I had never seen a double rainbow before and I was awed. But there was something interesting about the rainbow above. It’s colors were the reverse of the rainbow below it.

A rainbow, besides being amazing, is seen as a sign of possibilities. In the midst of life’s storms it is often hard to spot a rainbow, but they tend to appear after the storm and offer hope.

A double rainbow is even rarer and a good omen. It is the symbol of hope and encouragement and prosperity. It also provides spiritual encouragement. But whether scientific or spiritual, any rainbow is a joy to see,

Here is the technical reason for a double rainbow:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzgNM-P_JCQ

 

                                  Mushrooms, Mushrooms, Mushrooms

I looked down at the grass on the street side lawn as I started my daily walk. It looked like two golf balls had been lost and ended up on the grass. Then I looked closer and saw that they were really round, white mushrooms, a kind I hadn’t seen before. Quite impressive.

I’ve been noticing that there are more mushrooms popping up on lawns recently. Brown ones, white ones, flat, round, and, well, traditionally mushroom-shaped. I looked up mushrooms and I think the ones I saw were like Giant Puffballs (Calvatia gigantea) .

Each day’s walk has become an observational trek. It’s hard to believe how many mushrooms there are. There are over 14,000 species out there! Some are edible-and delicious-but many are poisonous so it isn’t wise to pick any off the lawns.

But whatever kind is local, they are so interesting to see. It makes my daily walk new each time.

11 edible mushrooms

https://www.plantsnap.com/blog/edible-mushrooms-united-states/

Awesome Goldfinches

 

                                                   Awesome Goldfinches

Outside our front door was a wonderful sight – a male goldfinch was sitting on one of our Astilbe plants. His beautiful gold color was startling. As we watched, a female goldfinch flew to one of the other Astilbe plants and seemed to be watching the male. He didn’t chase her away so perhaps they were a couple.

They sat there together/apart for several minutes until we had to go out. Then our movement disturbed them and they zipped off and we haven’t seen them since.

A sight like that is breathtaking. I remember hearing once that we should look for awe in each day. That is how I felt about seeing those beautiful birds. It was awesome and started my day with enthusiasm to be on the lookout for the incredible possibilities that nature might offer – if we are open to seeing them.

Directions for growing Astilbe plants:  

https://www.thespruce.com/growing-astible-plants-1402833     

Nature's Jigsaw Puzzles

 

Nature’s Jigsaw Puzzles

I love doing jigsaw puzzles. Recently, I was given a thousand-piece puzzle that showed lots of birds, which I also love. There were robins, cardinals, hummingbirds, bluejays, and sparrows all enjoying the field of wildflowers that was the puzzle’s background. So colorful. I sat down and got to work.

The puzzle wasn’t easy. It took me lots of days to finish but while I was working on it, my backyard seemed to have its own bird puzzle. There were robins flocking on the birdbath out back looking for a drink. A bluejay flapped them away so it could take a bath. Crows piled onto the grass, cawing as they searched for seeds. I heard chirping as I put the pieces into their right places, which felt like the real birds were encouraging me to work on the puzzle.

I am letting the finished puzzle stay on my dining room table for a while where I can see it when I walk through the house. I appreciate getting the bird puzzle as well as Mother Nature’s actual variety of birds. Both are gifts that I value and enjoy.

Tulips on a Tree

 

I have always loved tulips. The flowers bring Spring to mind and they have a charming look to them. But I wasn’t aware that they could grow on trees until my sister asked me if I would like to have a tulip tree for my backyard. She said that while it was beautiful, it dropped flowers into her backyard pool.  

I was delighted. It was planted toward the back of my house and after a brief season of acclimating to its new yard, put out flowers each Spring. That was many years ago and the tree has been producing more and more flowers each year.

There are things to consider when planting a tulip tree, though. It grows TALL. It overlooks much of our backyard. And my sister was right; the beautiful flowers eventually lose their petals which spread far and wide over everything. Still, I am delighted to have it in our yard and am grateful that it comes abundantly back each Spring.

Tulip trees produce beautiful flowers:

https://www.thespruce.com/how-to-grow-tulip-trees-2132098

 

Bee-side Our Window

Last Spring we noticed that we had bees flying near our front door. They seemed interested in the bushes by our front windows. One bee in particular seemed to be the most aggressive – to other bees, not to us, thank goodness. I had even named it as I watched it flitter around. It was chasing away any other bees that came by.

Well, the bushes are beginning to flower again and Bebe is back! It seems to have even more energy than last year. It is there when I open the door but it isn’t threatening. It keeps its distance as I watch it discourage any other bees that seem interested in the bushes. The strange thing is that I don’t see any nest in the bushes. What is it protecting? Last year we checked the gutters but they were clean, as they are this year.

By now I expect to see Bebe greeting me in the morning. The buzz gets a smile as I open the front door – a delightful way to start the day!

A Natural Path

There are so many natural paths close to where I live. Some are township properties, others are privately owned but open to the public. They often include waterways that add a peaceful element to the surrounding walkways.

As Winter changes to Spring, the colors start to emerge and plants blossom to make a walk even more delightful. Others seemed to be enjoying the path we recently discovered as well. We took a gentle walk on this pleasant day and let nature embrace us with beauty and peace.

I find this activity so simple and calming that I like to do it often during the nice weather. And each season nature invites us to share in the changes, to see the variety that exists naturally. I hope that everyone has access to a calming place, a space to take a deep breath and let go of any worries.    

 

Our Senses

                                                         Our Senses

It might only be February but I am already feeling the coming of Spring. My five senses are being awakened by nature. I see the pigeons gathering in flocks on wires, trees and roofs. I hear the squirrels stamping across the roof when I awaken early in the morning. I smell skunks as I drive through my neighborhood and pass a couple charging across the street. I am delighted by the gentle feel of the buds on the plants starting to open their flowers. And I can almost taste the mint that grows automatically in my tiny vegetable garden.

But I discovered that we might have more senses than we know. We are attuned to our world in many ways. We interact even when we aren’t aware that we’re doing it. Perhaps if we understand that we are connected with everything, we will be more careful with how we live.

There seems to be other senses as well:

https://medium.com/the-philipendium/the-5-senses-or-maybe-7-probably-9-perhaps-11-f9e6c54f76f0