The Earth is Full- Enjoy!

I just downed some Tylenol, noted the appearance of three new bruises and multiples scratches on my appendages gathered from working in the yard, checked the rising temperature, and enjoyed the music of a choir of birds.  It’s spring and this a good time to be alive.

          For most of April I hope that snow will not be in the forecast except in higher terrains and that unpaved roads will dry out and be graded.  And when that comes to pass, then winter is truly over in Vermont.  It’s time to welcome spring with all of our senses.

          Sight –Daily, hourly the land becomes greener and early flowers are bursting forth to gladden hearts.  People are outside raking, weeding, planting, walking, jogging, biking, talking, laughing.  Pale, sun-starved legs and feet appear even while the upper half is covered with layers to be discarded through the day.  Yesterday, Trinity, 2 ½, saw her first dandelion of the season.  She picked it and ran to show Paacha.  “My lion!  Isn’t it pretty?” she cried.  Even though a dandelion is technically a weed, the first ones are a thing of beauty even when you are over two.

          Sound – Chain saws burr as dead trees are removed.  Snatches of music are heard from the opened windows of passing cars; many times the bass thumps and pulses at stop signs.  Chirps, caws, tweets, peeps, chatters, screeches, yips, are nature’s addition to the celebration.  We were awakened in the wee hours by the screaming of an animal near our bedroom window.  A tomcat on the prowl?  A red fox passing through? We were never sure of the origin, but acknowledged it as a sign of the changing season.

          Smell – Campfires, brush piles alit, freshly turned soil, worms, manure, sun warmed earth tantalize the nose.  Laundry dried on the clothesline, bedding and throw rugs aired outside bring spring into the house as does throwing wide the doors and windows.  Let it all come in, unless or until the farmer is spreading manure and fertilizer.

          Touch – Prickly nettles, sharp thorns, crumbly moist soil, dew-soaked grass, velvety moss are all encountered in any gardening effort as snow peas and root crops are gently worked into the soil   Bare feet linger on warm asphalt, scurry over gravel, massage garden soil, glory in zephyr breezes. Sometimes I find myself touching the earth believing that I can almost feel its heart beat.  And I whisper to the seedlings and bulbs, “Grow.”

          Taste – The first barbecue or Creemee or toasted marshmallow is just the promise of more to come.  And what a promise it is! Lunch eaten at a picnic table, dinner served outside on the deck, an apple munched while in the hammock and food never tasted so yummy.  Now is the time to add extra vittles on the grill and invite friends, new and old, to partake.

          This season is a gift.  It’s a time to look around and realize the truth that the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.  May you gather in that goodness and benefit from it.  Happy spring!