I’ve been out in the gardens taking them back from the weeds, As I'm working the soil digging out the roots of the interlopers, I was thinking about all the life going on around me and became was so inspired I got up and went into the house to fire up the computer to translate my thoughts into words.
As I claim back my gardens, I’m sharing my space with busy bees; they buzz their presence so I know to avoid them. Bees are one of the most important creatures on this earth. Without their diligence we would all die, starve to death. Accidentally killing one is a crime against humanity so I give them a wide berth and of course I don’t want to be stung so it’s a win, win for us all. I was thinking how lucky I am to be in tune with nature, I see things and hear things around me and I’m careful not to upset their lives. I’m in their world, they aren’t in mine.
I am in awe of the garter snakes that call our yard home. I marvel how they get along, curling with one another, three and four entangled, with heads touching. I am in awe how they don’t move when I take the pups out to pee, how they gather around the steps and look at me, instinctively knowing that I am kind to them in a world where people kill them without thought.
One shed the other day and the complete skin was beside my Hosta. I’ve never seen one whole, as it breaks down quickly in the elements, so it must have been recent. The largest snake is just shy of a yard long with a pretty impressive girth. He is also the prettiest, a golden boy with patterned skin that gleams as the sun dances over his length. I’ve counted eight snakes this year in various parts of the yard. I can avoid everywhere they hang out but the steps, I need those to get to my car but we coexist nicely. They blend so perfectly with the rock walls, sometimes I’m looking intently and still miss them. One time I took a picture of one basking on a rock and when I looked at the photo there were two. If I wasn’t paying attention they would exist around me but I'm happy to be aware, to be a small part of a greater picture.
I am in awe how the family of chickadees work their parental magic taking turns feeding their babies. One flies out of the nest in search of food while the other flies in with a beak full. The babies don’t make a sound; I’ve not heard as much as a peep out of them, while downtown the other day I heard desperate callings and looked up and saw baby birds peeking out of a crack in a building soffit and they were hungry. Their beaks were wide open and screeching. There were four of them and I worried they would tumble out in their frantic need for food. Momma robin, pigeon or crow must have been out gathering food.
My chickadees are so quiet in their parenting. I watch them for hours from the kitchen door, so fascinated by how they attend to their young. I am in awe how they trust me now and fly in and out while I’m gardening and watering the baskets that hang below their home. They are so beautiful and mesmerizing that a creature so ting can make such beautiful music. It would be a privilege, a rare gift to witness the babies leave the nest. Watch their parents assist them out the little hole they use as their door. The babies must be unbelievably small considering the parents could almost live in an egg cup.
I see a vole at least once a day, usually at night when the pups go out for their last pee of the evening. It scurries from rock to rock, dipping into dark cracks, noiselessly scurrying along. I’m thinking the little area by our back step sure gets lots of action; imagine how much is going on throughout the entire yard.
There seems to be more monarch butterflies this year. I am so in awe of their delicate beauty. One followed me the other day, was never more than three feet away. Once, I felt a soft breeze on my arm as it fluttered by. I was so careful walking as it kept landing at my feet. It was almost eerie, not in a bad sense, but as if it was some sort of sign, to which I have no clue what the meaning would be, but it was strange that’s all. It followed me around the yard and then back to the step. I went inside the house and watched it from the screen door. It landed on the deck for a bit, and then flew away. As I’m writing this I can see out the window and one is fluttering around my little side garden, perhaps waiting for me to come out….
I am in awe how a lone Dove pecks away at the driveway gravel finding bugs among the dirt. All the other doves are in pairs, I’ve read they mate for life. Perhaps it is the same one as last year back again, still alone. Its cry is mournful. Sometimes it sits on the peak of our roof for hours declaring its grief to the world. I can almost feel its pain as it resonates in that special place that holds my own losses in my heart.
I am in awe how the male cardinal scolds us as we get too close to their hidden nest in the Weigela bush. It flies high up in the birch trees and squawks at us loudly, offering himself up as bait to lead us away from the nest with its scolding. I try to respect their space and hustle the pups to the opposite part of the driveway and only then does the cardinal grow quiet. Out of the corner of my eye I see him sneak back into the bush when he feels the coast is clear.
On the opposite side of the drive there is a squirrel that doesn’t like us getting close to its hole in the ground and boy can that one screech. Honey was the one that loved the squirrels and one would sit on the steps outside and jabbers on and on and it drove her crazy as she waited by the door begging to go outside. I swear it did it on purpose so I’d let her out to chase it, knowing full well it could scamper away with the speed of lightening.
I weed with acute awareness, looking close as not to disturb a nest before ramming in my spade. The dense growth is thick and protective, the perfect place to build a temporary home. Other years I’ve had to wait to clean out the garden while eggs hatched and then the babies grew enough to leave the nest. I’ve been watching to see if any birds fly in and out of the tall weeds and generally if you venture too close to a nest there’s a momma or a papa bird giving you heck from a nearby bush.
I love that our yard is teaming with little creatures; it means our soil is clean and our bushes are free of pesticides. It is a place to forage for food and have babies in a healthy, natural environment. I’m proud that we are doing our part to help keep the environment safe for the little creatures that call it home.
One can see so much with open eyes. If you look past the obvious, the wonders of nature reveal themselves. It’s a beautiful thing…..
As I claim back my gardens, I’m sharing my space with busy bees; they buzz their presence so I know to avoid them. Bees are one of the most important creatures on this earth. Without their diligence we would all die, starve to death. Accidentally killing one is a crime against humanity so I give them a wide berth and of course I don’t want to be stung so it’s a win, win for us all. I was thinking how lucky I am to be in tune with nature, I see things and hear things around me and I’m careful not to upset their lives. I’m in their world, they aren’t in mine.
I am in awe of the garter snakes that call our yard home. I marvel how they get along, curling with one another, three and four entangled, with heads touching. I am in awe how they don’t move when I take the pups out to pee, how they gather around the steps and look at me, instinctively knowing that I am kind to them in a world where people kill them without thought.
One shed the other day and the complete skin was beside my Hosta. I’ve never seen one whole, as it breaks down quickly in the elements, so it must have been recent. The largest snake is just shy of a yard long with a pretty impressive girth. He is also the prettiest, a golden boy with patterned skin that gleams as the sun dances over his length. I’ve counted eight snakes this year in various parts of the yard. I can avoid everywhere they hang out but the steps, I need those to get to my car but we coexist nicely. They blend so perfectly with the rock walls, sometimes I’m looking intently and still miss them. One time I took a picture of one basking on a rock and when I looked at the photo there were two. If I wasn’t paying attention they would exist around me but I'm happy to be aware, to be a small part of a greater picture.
I am in awe how the family of chickadees work their parental magic taking turns feeding their babies. One flies out of the nest in search of food while the other flies in with a beak full. The babies don’t make a sound; I’ve not heard as much as a peep out of them, while downtown the other day I heard desperate callings and looked up and saw baby birds peeking out of a crack in a building soffit and they were hungry. Their beaks were wide open and screeching. There were four of them and I worried they would tumble out in their frantic need for food. Momma robin, pigeon or crow must have been out gathering food.
My chickadees are so quiet in their parenting. I watch them for hours from the kitchen door, so fascinated by how they attend to their young. I am in awe how they trust me now and fly in and out while I’m gardening and watering the baskets that hang below their home. They are so beautiful and mesmerizing that a creature so ting can make such beautiful music. It would be a privilege, a rare gift to witness the babies leave the nest. Watch their parents assist them out the little hole they use as their door. The babies must be unbelievably small considering the parents could almost live in an egg cup.
I see a vole at least once a day, usually at night when the pups go out for their last pee of the evening. It scurries from rock to rock, dipping into dark cracks, noiselessly scurrying along. I’m thinking the little area by our back step sure gets lots of action; imagine how much is going on throughout the entire yard.
There seems to be more monarch butterflies this year. I am so in awe of their delicate beauty. One followed me the other day, was never more than three feet away. Once, I felt a soft breeze on my arm as it fluttered by. I was so careful walking as it kept landing at my feet. It was almost eerie, not in a bad sense, but as if it was some sort of sign, to which I have no clue what the meaning would be, but it was strange that’s all. It followed me around the yard and then back to the step. I went inside the house and watched it from the screen door. It landed on the deck for a bit, and then flew away. As I’m writing this I can see out the window and one is fluttering around my little side garden, perhaps waiting for me to come out….
I am in awe how a lone Dove pecks away at the driveway gravel finding bugs among the dirt. All the other doves are in pairs, I’ve read they mate for life. Perhaps it is the same one as last year back again, still alone. Its cry is mournful. Sometimes it sits on the peak of our roof for hours declaring its grief to the world. I can almost feel its pain as it resonates in that special place that holds my own losses in my heart.
I am in awe how the male cardinal scolds us as we get too close to their hidden nest in the Weigela bush. It flies high up in the birch trees and squawks at us loudly, offering himself up as bait to lead us away from the nest with its scolding. I try to respect their space and hustle the pups to the opposite part of the driveway and only then does the cardinal grow quiet. Out of the corner of my eye I see him sneak back into the bush when he feels the coast is clear.
On the opposite side of the drive there is a squirrel that doesn’t like us getting close to its hole in the ground and boy can that one screech. Honey was the one that loved the squirrels and one would sit on the steps outside and jabbers on and on and it drove her crazy as she waited by the door begging to go outside. I swear it did it on purpose so I’d let her out to chase it, knowing full well it could scamper away with the speed of lightening.
I weed with acute awareness, looking close as not to disturb a nest before ramming in my spade. The dense growth is thick and protective, the perfect place to build a temporary home. Other years I’ve had to wait to clean out the garden while eggs hatched and then the babies grew enough to leave the nest. I’ve been watching to see if any birds fly in and out of the tall weeds and generally if you venture too close to a nest there’s a momma or a papa bird giving you heck from a nearby bush.
I love that our yard is teaming with little creatures; it means our soil is clean and our bushes are free of pesticides. It is a place to forage for food and have babies in a healthy, natural environment. I’m proud that we are doing our part to help keep the environment safe for the little creatures that call it home.
One can see so much with open eyes. If you look past the obvious, the wonders of nature reveal themselves. It’s a beautiful thing…..
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