We depend on nature for not only our physical survival, we need nature to show us the way home, the way out of the prison of our own minds. —Eckhart Tolle
Late spring has unfurled slowly in my little corner of the world, but once it did it revealed an amazingly lush, vibrantly green world. There is nothing quite like it… the greening of spring and I focused this month exactly on that, all the greens!
I kept Tolle’s quote posted several places to help me focus. A good reminder that if you look away from the chaos, there is a beautiful order to the waking world. And though Pittsburgh weather provided everything but snow this month… Spring kept her focus! It was delightful to go at a slow pace and notice the small things like the leaves unfurling over the course of several days which provide that amazing “green mist” that you can see in the far off distance that gives a watercolor quality to the landscape as leaves slowly return.
Not only was there a feast for my eyes, the accompanying spring soundtrack is not one easily missed. There is a frantic urgency to the birdsong that exists in early May… but though frantic at the beginning of the month it settles down dramatically as May wanes. Late May birdsong is still a gorgeous soundtrack, but mostly it is just the familiar “arias” of the regular birds: robins, finches, cardinals, and mourning doves… interspersed with the chatter of the talkative sparrows. By the end of the month they are all busy with the all encompassing tasks of raising babies… and I am always delighted in seeing those May young as they depart the nests yet still follow their parents demanding food!
I continued on my Spring Journey with Adrian Bell… grateful that he wrote so brilliantly and that his writings have been gathered into book form! He reminded me that for as much as things change… the more some things still stay the same. I took comfort in that… and was sad to finish his Spring Notebook. But I tucked it away and will pull it out next spring and read his thoughts again as spring unfurls.
This year I was struck by the slowness of spring… especially as I paid close attention to each day. I cannot remember a lovelier spring than this one and it makes me sad that I paid so little attention to all my prior springs!
I was delighted again that a doe graced my backyard with her tiny fawn. For two days, she stayed close as her very small fawn got steadier on its feet. But nothing prepared me for catching them both off guard one morning when I took Frankie out for a quick bathroom break. The baby stood stock still in the iris and Frankie never even noticed it! I managed to snap a few quick photos and then scurried back inside where I watched the fawn slip back into the hedges.
So stinking cute!!
It has been an amazing spring… one I will not soon forget.
What about you? What has struck you about spring (or fall) in your corner of the world?
See you all here tomorrow with some Unraveling!
What a lovely ode to spring! It appears that we will probably not have any more frost so we’re actually planting tomatoes today. I’ve had a doe in my backyard for three days but hadn’t seen any fawns until she brought two of them around yesterday. Enjoy the rest of spring!
What a sweet picture of the fawn Kat! It sounds like your Spring has been just wonderful. Slowing down so that you notice everything is such a great thing…a real gift.
If we can be patient enough to just let Spring . . . be Spring . . . we get some really wonderful treats. Like that mist. And all the shades of green. And That Fawn! What a gift. Here’s to a continuing . . . beautiful unfolding of the season. XO
I love your quote and your attitude. It’s been a slow chilly spring here and I should embrace it and not be so busy wishing for warmer weather!
I was so committed to posting for Unraveling this week that I did it today (DOH!) thinking it was Wednesday……
It seemed like our spring was cooler than normal (although that may be ALL in my head, I have not fact checked my experience) and I appreciated that it made the spring flowers last longer. That fawn is so cute, thank you for capturing the photo and sharing it with us.
Oh, that fawn. We were traveling for the better part of May, which was wonderful and a little sad, as it’s the best month, at least till October.
What a sweet little fawn! I’ve seen quite a few deer in my neighborhood this month, though no babies. Last week I spotted a pair doing some “landscaping” in front of the WQED building, right on Fifth Ave.! I guess they’ve gotten used to cars and people. I’ve also been enjoying all the birdsong. It’s one benefit to being up early with Ruthie — there aren’t yet any leaf blowers or lawnmowers out yet to drown them out!
Love the fawn. I haven’t seen any deer lately in our yard and we had them at work occasionally.
oh that wee baby!! So so sweet! This spring season has been so fast for me. It seems like we have winter for the longest time and then crazy hot weather….I wish the in between lasted longer.
I love this gentle walk with you through spring. This was my favorite season as a kid—for so many reasons you write about here. Your sweet, striped fawn! We had a bunny family living in a hollow log in our garden. Last evening I watched a cardinal play with two of them! Interspecies play is mesmerizing.