After getting back from Philadelphia, I wanted to get to the park, worried that the wildflowers might have bloomed without me. But the combination of rain and coolness worked in my favor. On Friday morning, I donned my Sperry duck boots and headed down the back trail. It’s going to be a bad year for ticks, so I had tights on under my hiking pants and my socks up over the bottoms. I have a healthy respect (and dislike) for ticks and their diseases.
My Monday walk this week took me through a lot of mud in search of wildflowers. There were thousands of them (wildflowers, not mud, although there was a lot of that, too) waiting for the sunshine to warm the earth a bit more before bursting briefly into bloom. I tramped through the mud in search of anything else, when suddenly I discovered this patch of wildflowers in full bloom. I’ll be going back as soon as possible to check on the progress of the other flowers. Despite the lack of flowers, it was a soul-soothing two hours.
I have no idea what these flowers are and I haven’t had any luck finding them online. If any of you know what they are (Judy?), please share! Trying to identify by online photos isn’t easy!
Somewhere in my childhood, I learned the little rhyme:
We’re all in our places with bright shiny faces.
I had to finagle a bit to get six words for Six-Word Saturday, but the “finally” is heartfelt! I’ve been waiting a long time for the beauties to bloom and then there they were in all their bright, cheerful glory. Ahh, the joy of spring!
Although there are a lot of little beauties here, there are literally tens of thousands more, of this or other kinds, waiting to bloom. I’m going to be checking back every few days so I don’t miss anything!! And oh, the lovely light of a spring morning!
A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost
(first verse)
Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.
After weeks and months of waiting, the green is back. I may not catch a sunrise for some time because the sun is coming up rather early these days, but it wasn’t far over the horizon when I arrived at the park last week, just high enough to add emphasis.
The water was still, although the river is still high. It’s too cold yet for the frogs, so I don’t have to sneak slowly to the edge of the shore, trying to spot them before they leap out into the water.
Thursday was the first real day of spring: temperatures climbing to a bit of 70 F, first day without a coat/jacket needed, sunshine all day…and this little beauty discovered under a bush in our front yard. Thankfully, all our daffodils/narcissus seem to have survived the many nights of below-freezing temperatures and are either already blooming or getting ready to do so. We may have a few more cold days before temperatures settle into the mid-fifties during the day, spring weather and so welcome!
Debbie hosts Six-Word Saturday every week and these six words made me happier to write than perhaps any I’ve used to far.
My husband got me flowers for my birthday, the best kind: beautiful and inexpensive. They lasted for almost two weeks then, while at Aldi not long ago, I scored potted flowers on sale for $1.99, Easter leftovers of tulips and hyacinths, bulbs that can go outdoors once their indoor season is over. Today, as the several inches of snow melted away in the afternoon, I spent a bit of time with phone and camera, reveling in the bright, cheerful colors.
Can a heart have thoughts? It must, because with the snow melting, the weather warming, the sun out, my fancies turn not to love (I’m blessed to already have that), but to spring. To that warmth that isn’t really warm except by contrast. To the brave bits of bright colors peeping out from under all those neutrals. To the life lurking under all that mud. To the sounds of birds and dripping water. To the rebirth of life.
This is what my heart sees.
