OPENING DAY

I TOOK A WALK TODAY...

For me, April 1 is Opening Day.  For my baseball-loving husband it is on April 6 this year. But every April Fools day, Prairie Pond Woods opens its doors and invites all the Nature Fools, Spiritual Fools and Creative fools to come immerse themselves in the outdoors, in the Spirit or their own artistic endeavors.  



You know who you are...you're the one everyone else thinks is way too into the environment, way too intense about Life or way too "flaky" or esoteric.



But you're also the fool who knows that going against our fast-paced, left-brained and nature-deficient culture is how truth, beauty and wisdom can be found. 

  

So check the Calendar and contact me to see if we can set you up for a few days of utter foolishness!  And don't forget, the Bird Watching as Meditation retreat is coming up soon.  Registration Deadline is April 11...you can register online HERE or click on the button in the upper left corner.  How convenient!

On the walk today, either I was being stalked by one Pine Warbler or there were many trilling in different parts of the property, which is wonderful!  I also heard or saw Phoebes, a Kingfisher, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Eastern Bluebirds, a Red-shouldered Hawk, American Goldfinches, Chipping Sparrows, and a Crow clicking away under the walnut tree. And the Juncos are still around. 



It was a bad winter for Pines along the path.  The Refresher Course had no less than 5 Virginia pines, both dead and alive, blocking the trails and making future work for my poor husband. But maybe not. Perhaps Wisdom is suggesting we create some new paths and let the old ones recover and regenerate...and truly what wisdom there is in that!



Sometimes we need to seek out new paths on our life's journey...especially when there are obstacles that don't allow us to go forward...and this is true for me now in my life. It is a win-win situation most times, really.  If I stop  walking (and mowing) the same old paths, plants that have been stunted will begin to flourish and reproduce.  And if I choose a new, wise path (maybe cutting right through patches of invasive deer tongue), plants or seeds that have been struggling in the shade might bloom along the edges, as they are now allowed to soak up the sun's light and warmth. Something to ask ourselves...are we walking the same old routines, patterns, habits, jobs or relationships that don't really move us in the directions we want to go? 

In the direction I went this morning, I only found two Bloodroot plants getting ready to bloom along the spring...looks like it's still a bit early here.  So I decided that this would be a day of preparation...meaning getting my little gardening corner of the garage purged and organized, weeding the front garden bed, charging the camera batteries and getting my systems into place. This way, when the rest of the Ephemerals burst on to the scene...I'm ready to go!



Oh, and I pulled the FOY tick off the front of my neck, which hurt like you-know-what!  Spring is here...