Spring Growth

[Guest guest]

> cloudhand@o... wrote:

>I've really been enjoying listening to you all talk about your

>gardens. Mine is just a few plants around the flat, though I live

just above a plant-filled courtyard. The other day, sitting here with

my window open, I suddenly heard a blackbird singing very quietly in

the tree just outside it.

Mike,

I am not sure what Greg and Kurt have been growing in their garden,

but they and the others have certainly been cultivating some

beautiful things around here. the Gardener has come home, and

Phoebe paints for us the beautiful image of New England, drowning in

lilacs.

I am always amazed through the spring into summer, how species of

flowers and trees initially stir, then come to life so very fragile

and new. Each one is then is so driven towards their annual opus,

expending all their stored energy to produce a unique gift of nature

through their colors and flowers. From there, they settle into a

more moderate maturity, only to rest again in the winter and then

start anew. There is really a beautiful cycle to nature.

I enjoyed hearing about your conversation with the song bird, Mike.

Reminds me of a conversation I had with a bird once.

I was riding along on my horse when I came to an open field. It was

late spring, and there was a young blackbird there, having its first

flying lesson. It was definitely employing the trial and error

technique! As I stopped to watch, the mother became quite irate with

me for gawking at her child, and ferociously hovered above my head,

scolding and shaming me. She kept this up for quite some time until

I felt obligated to move along. I had just finished re-reading

Livingston Seagull as I watched that determined youngster,

so there seemed to be some symbolic value there that day.

Warm Regards,