the greening

Spring comes more slowly, more subtly to the High Desert. It's here, but you must know its signs to recognize its arrival. While the valley is awash in bulbs and leaves and wet, here there are tight buds of leaves, tender shoots of perennials, green blades of grass. 

Inside the house, however, Spring arrives with energy and heralds the return of warmer weather and long, lazy days. Daffodils - 30 stems for less than $4! - grace my table. It's far too early to plant outside - we anticipate frost for a few more months - but a few transplants and seedlings, gently cared for under a grow light, promise more dirty hands in the months to come. 

All winter I've been saving my fiber trimmings: tiny bits of thread, colorful scraps from the boys' art projects, the delicate ends from my crochet. I found the idea somewhere on Pinterest (of course!) and had to try. After the Vernal Equinox, I filled an empty suet container with the vibrant bits, hoping that the local birds would use them to build cozy, colorful nests. E saw a length of yarn was hanging out of our bird house for a few days. Too bad: I missed it; though the knowledge filled me with a small sense of triumph. However, I did see a small songbird stealing fluffy chicken feathers shed by our flock from the the coop - a cozy bit of down for her nest, and a highlight in my day. 

And: the egg. (Though these white ones for Easter - organic, to be sure! - came from the store.) With longer, warmer days, we have been grateful for an abundance of eggs. A symbol of renewal, rebirth, and beginnings. 

Slowly, we awake from our winter slumber. The old growth from last year is cleared away to provide sunlight for the new life pushing up, with determination and hope, towards the sunshine. 

 

Comments

[Daddio]

Beautiful post, Amy. That last picture sums it all up and may deserve more of an explanation. That crisp, clear water is newly unleashed from the Deschutes river and is on it's way to the farms Northeast of town. I like to think of where that water is going and what it will grow. I love this time of year!

[Claudia]

I love the idea of the scraps being used for birds' nests; I've always felt like there was a reason to keep the ends. Now I have one. I also like it tied (no pun intended) to the Vernal Equinox. A fitting way to celebrate the change of seasons.