Nature Notes

Monday, February 4:

Freezing rain and ice in the night topped yesterday's 4 inches of snow. We awake to a thick blanket of fog, with temperature's in the mid-40s. We head to the woods for a walk. All sounds seem amplified, to the point you want to talk with words as light as a feather, or no words at all. We hear the sound of running water, as water drips from trees. But it seems more than that. The snow pack is melting, settling into what must be a river of water underneath.

When we talked on the phone later, I told Mother what we observed. She said the water was headed to the Mississippi River. To which I responded: "Into the Gulf, the Sea, and then back to me."

Winter is really different here. Things seem very changeable. We wonder if that is normal, since weather patterns seem to be changing everywhere. By mid-afternoon, the temperatures were in the 60s, the fog had burnt away, coats were cast aside and sunglasses were needed. It was absolutely beautiful. The snow was ALL gone. Or was the snow a figment of our imagination? Beginning tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, we are back on winter storm watch until Wednesday morning. Thunder is possible. We did have thunder and lightning yesterday. It wasn't much, but it was the lowest, longest, gentlest rumble of thunder I think I have ever heard.

After the dry spells of the last few seasons, all of Nature seems to celebrate the moisture. We 3 Humans do too.

Quote

~~~~~

My religion is very simple.

My religion is kindness.

~~~~~

When we feel love and kindness toward others,

it not only makes others feel loved and cared for,

but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.

~~~~~

from the Dalai Lama

~~~~~

Source: Random Acts of Kindness, February 4, 2008

Grandma Says

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Do unto others

as you would have them

do unto you.

~~~~~

Quote

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Where there is kindness,

there is God.

~~~~~

Source: I am always amazed at the synchronicity of things. I carefully selected peppermint tea from our ample tea stash this morning. Yogi Tea is one of my favorites; it comes with a little meditation attached to the tea bag, which I like just as much as the tea. While the water came to a boil, I prepared my cup, added some honey, opened my tea bag and noted the above quote.

Nature Notes

February 3:

A gentle but dense fog crept in this morning. On our walk before breakfast, we noted the fog had lifted somewhat, but still cast a blanket of softness all about. Fog seems to shut down those myriads of distractions in the outside world, particularly those of the Human kind. It gently encourages us to focus on that which is close. A huge Turkey bolted from his perch in the tree of our South Woods. Or is it the Turkey's Woods? We are not sure who was more startled: the Turkey or the Humans.

In that gentle space between daylight and dark, we watched in wonder as 5 deer found the scratch piles at the edge of the lawn. Two were does and 3 were yearlings. One of the yearlings paused to look at the lights and activity in the house. We watched this beautiful creature and wondered: What does s/he ponder in us?

Kindness

Glinda writes:

I am always looking for lessons in Nature (including among my Human friends). These little snapshots provide some very important teachings in my life. They gift me with insights and understandings. They guide my steps along the path so that I might be all I am intended. These are some of my musings on Kindness:

When I was a little girl, I was fascinated with throwing rocks on the water. I would throw them in 1 at a time. Then, I would sit mesmerized at the ripples extending gently and persistently across the water. How far would those ripples go? I did not know. In my child's mind, they went on forever. I knew they would reach the distant banks of the pond which seemed huge.

About 10 years ago, I worked in the same building as a Native American who became quite a teacher for me and for whom I shall always be grateful. Bill Bray was the last language speaker of his tribe at that time. He said that among his people (the Natchez), it was known that whatever energy you cast into the world is ultimately what comes back to you. That made sense. I began to watch this in my life.

Kindness seems missing in our world today. Sadly, we live in a time when spirits bringing energies of meanness, fear, rage, greed, selfishness seem rampant. These spirits are like germs, those nasty flu or cold bugs that extend all too quickly across the Human family. On contact, we catch meanness, fear, rage, greed, selfishness. Somebody does something mean to us and we feel entitled to pass that meanness on to the next most unsuspecting subject who passes it on to someone else. Just as that rock cast upon the water by little me extended ripples into the far reaches of the pond, my actions (and the actions of all of us) cast ripples into the world. With such spirits on the loose, it becomes a crazy world. And those actions ultimately come back to us.

Through my observations of these things, I knew something had to change. For a long time, I focused on what someone else should do. Yet, the only actions I could change were my own. Unlike flu or cold bugs on contact, I choose whether I will catch these icky things. I choose not. In my own simple way, I offer a solution, an anti-dote to these things, plus a way of being more peaceful in some pretty mixed up times.

So what is my solution?

Kindness.

~~~~~

My encounters with Buddhism over the years with its focuses on intention, meditation, compassion and loving kindness have helped immensely with these things. However, I do believe that Humans' quest for relationship with the Divine probably brings most of us to this same place.

Let me offer my own humble definition. Kindness is that tender space of meeting and greeting with an open heart. It is the space where we encounter all beings (Human and Non-Human) with love and compassion. It is that exquisite space that shows in the face of our differences we care. We know the effects of words and deeds that hurt and those that do not. Rather, I choose to speak and act in ways that celebrate our being.

We must not horde kindness or keep it exclusive to a narrow range of those we know. By its very nature, it is meant to be given away. The more we give the more that comes back to us and the more we have to give. However, we do not give it away so we will have more. We give it away because it is the right thing to do.

Like those ripples across the water, kindness washes across the world and creates a community that has no beginning and no end. It may take a while, but drop by drop, water wears away stone.

Kindness could be considered contagious. Catch it and pass it on.

This morning, clouds of fog left gifts of frost on every living thing. The world softened with the brush the Master paints.

Beginning of Spring

We 3 partners seek to live more with the life's energies of the Earth rather than separate from them, which is surely so common in our culture. We note Nature in the world around us and Nature in us. That includes paying attention to the cycles of the seasons. We find the separation between Humans and the Earth to be artificial, even damaging. Paying attention to these wonderful things is surely about coming home to who we are meant to be. So what are we 3 partners up to at this time?

February 2, a holiday marked in story by many traditions (including Ground Hog Day), is a significant turning point in the calendar of the Earth's seasons. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth and all beings residing here are coming out of darkness. The long Winter's night is less. While light has been slowly increasing since Winter Solstice, the amount of sunlight will begin to increase rapidly between now and May 1.

We took a walk looking for signs of spring on Butterfly Hill Farm today. The temperature was in the low to mid 40's, with blue sky, a thin blanket of clouds, and little to no breeze. While we wore warm jackets, we did not bundle them tightly around us as we had done just a few days before (and will surely need to do again). The air was cool but soft on our skin.

We could almost feel an excitement, an anticipation, in the air. The browns, tans, and grays of the dead or sleeping vegetation are dominant colors. But looking carefully, you can see more. The colors of some of the vegetation are beginning to change. We saw a soft pink on some of the undergrowth in our North Woods. The willows at the edge of the lagoon had an early spring yellow in the morning; as the sun became brighter, that color was less visible. Richard noted the buds of the maples are beginning to swell.

Although mostly gone, patches of snow still hung out in protected areas. Most of the ground was still frozen and firm to walk on. In warm spots, the upper couple of inches of soil had melted. We walked carefully not to compact soil and damage plants, plus avoid bringing mud in on our shoes. We saw tender plant growth emerging almost everywhere we went. It was magical to see.

Changes are occurring in the birds. The Canada Geese are flying, almost as if practicing for those long spring flights ahead. Juncos are fewer in number. Richard has noted occasional courtship calls, especially with the Tufted Titmice. They are tuning up. The colors of birds are shifting from their winter drab to the brighter colors of the courtship season. The Purple Finches are redder; the Goldfinches are more yellow. Curiously, this change in color is created from the wear of their outer feathers. They have those brilliant colors underneath, almost like a Human wearing a drab jacket with a bright shirt underneath. Soon, that jacket will go.

As we were walking near the neighbors' pond, we thought we heard a frog. We stopped at full alert, listening long and hard. We could not verify it. It will not be long.

We also note that the position of the rising and setting sun is more to the North. A few minutes ago, I walked outside and noted Orion (the Hunter), one of my favorite constellations. I asked Richard about the position of Orion throughout the seasons. He said Orion is known as a winter constellation. In the summer, Orion is found in the daytime sky and not visible. Isn't this stuff amazing? How could we not have wondered or noticed these things?

The emergence of Spring will pick up in intensity over the coming weeks. Winter has by no means lost her grip. But Spring is definitely in the air. We 3 partners mark this day as the beginning of Spring, which is typical of a holiday known as Imbolc in the old calendars of Irish, Gaelic, Celtic traditions. We aren't putting away our winter clothing by any means. But the Earth is making signs of bursting with life.

Even the energy of the 3 Humans is returning. Most of the seeds for the garden have arrived, our gardening plans are in full swing, we want to be out more.

We are deeply grateful for the cycle of seasons on this great Earth. Watching, listening, waiting fills us with humility and awe for the Creation of which we are a very small part.

This is the start of our notes on the Beginning of Spring in northeast Missouri. We had considerable notes when we lived for so long in North Dakota. And what, Dear Reader, have you noted of these things in the beautiful place you call home?