MAY MORNING

MORNING..... I think of Thoreau, who wrote in his journal:

"I have just heard the flicker among the oaks on the hillside ushering in a new
dynasty...Eternity could not begin with more security and momentousness than the
spring. The summer's eternity is reestablished by this note. All sights and
sounds are seen and heard both in time and eternity. And when the eternity of
any sight or sound strikes the eye or ear, they are intoxicated with delight."

Have you been so programmed by noise that you can’t enjoy the sound of water lapping against the side of the dock, the surf rolling the sand, shells or pebbles on the beach, or the calls of the newly hatched, the mewling sounds of a newborn creature as it searches for a bit of nourishment. Do you hear the hum of bees in the garden? Can you tell what kind of bird it is by the sound of their wings? These things are the sound of Peace, contentment, a connection with the earth and the Self.

I still thrill at the sight of a red cardinal sitting in the camellia outside my window and marvel at the subtle coloring of the mama cardinal as she sits on a branch nearby. I get excited when I see the tiny flowers on my berry bushes and watch as the pods form on the peas climbing up the fence. The air yesterday morning was heavy with left over rain and the promise of more rain to come mixed with the fragrance of honeysuckle. A gentle breeze added the scent of the magnolia to the air and I ventured out to find the blossoms, gaze at their huge magnificence next to the fragile petals of the honeysuckle growing up the tree. I can’t imagine being confined to a world of concrete and bricks, glass and steel, traffic and city noise… the crowds of people brushing by reeking of human smells, alcohol, tobacco, body odors, cologne, aftershave, smelly deodorants, hair control products, stale food…

Today the air is cooler, crisper, they say, tho I have never figured out how air can be crisp, I guess they mean drier, a perfect day to be out in the yard getting some chores done. It is difficult to concentrate on the work at hand, there is so much beauty to pause and admire. Some things are big, bright and bold in color, other things are tiny, subtle, and yet equally as spell binding. In the evening I try to concentrate on getting the grass (mostly weeds) cut, but keep thinking I must come back out here on foot in the morning and look at this or that. I cut the grass slowly, grateful to have the machine to take me where my legs don't want to go, but hate the noise drowning out the bird song.

Morning comes, breezy, fresh, almost chilly for a change. The honeysuckle is on the wind this morning. The little cat trots along ahead of me telling me about what went on in the yard last night, stopping to inspect a hole made by a deer stepping in the soft dirt, saying a few words to the new lilies freshly opened, hiding in the ferns to ambush me as I pass by. A car goes by. I hear the deep BOOM BOOM BOOM as the driver, thinking how cool he is, hastens deafness with what his generation considers music. I return to the sounds and sights of my little world, so grateful to be there, knowing of the suffering around me. For now, I have been given this gift.

Give me space and fresh air! Let me hear the rustling of the wind in the trees, the smells of the blossoms, the breeze ruffling my hair. Let me walk on the earth, not the pavement, with a little cat meowing by my side. Let me feel the rough bark of the trees in my yard, caress the petals of the rose, taste the sweetness of the strawberries in my garden.

That, my friends, is Peace, Contentment.

What a blessed Morning.

the LAND OF CAMELLIAS, KITTY CATS, AND POSSUMS

I started this post several days ago... did not get to finish it as the 'puter was in the 'puter-pital for a few days. Now, so thoroughly cleaned that I have to reload everything (and have lost tons of stuff - sigh) it is back. If you have not heard from me - that is why. I will do better after I retrieve your info and a lot of other things.

From last week: I just had a phone call from someone who was complaining about the fog this morning, the frost, the noise the VDOT men were making out on the road, the cat demanding his breakfast, the dog underfoot needing to go out for a pee… We live within 2 miles of each other so I am sharing the same fog, same frost, and even though I do not have a dog, I do have 2 outside cats I have to go out and feed, so I cannot escape the elements this morning. I headed for the door, can in hand, but, instead, rather than taking out a can of food, I turned around and came back for my camera. The sunrise was beautiful thru the fog. OK, not one of those brilliant bright awesomely colored sunrises but it was not all just a lessening of the gray sky, either. If you are a sunrise watcher, you know how quickly the colors change, and indeed the red brilliance had started to soften when I took the time to come back inside and get the camera. In the space of only a few shots, the red was gone and an orange glow took its place. For a couple seconds I was reminded of a forest fire in the distance. Instead, it was sunrise over the ocean. I stood beside the van on the carport – I was still in my slippers – and took these shots while a little cat wound around my ankles telling me he loved me dearly and especially admired my ability to open cans. Please open one. LOL! The other cat lounged sleepily in the heated box and waited, no beggar he! Soon the camellias will be busy with honeybees… Yes, honey bees love my yard, especially in the winter when it warms up enough for them to fly. There are usually a hundred or more camellias in bloom loaded with pollen, a mile from their bee boxes at my neighbor’s to the east. See the frost on the edge of the leaves? It will not hurt the camellias. The winter camellias can survive even a nice snowfall. They do not like a prolonged period of cold like we have had for the past 2 years. I stood there in the chilly morning air, petting the little cat that had jumped up on a shelf, all the better to be petted, looked at the camellias in January, and thought how lucky I was to live in such a place. Sure, I have a bigger house up in the mountains, beautiful scenery, a river with white water 1000 feet from my house… but no camellias. And there it is seriously cold this morning, and a light snow is falling. I am not into driving on icy mountain roads. Lazy, I guess… no longer adventurous enough. Or, maybe I have that wonderful elusive thing so many folks search their whole lives for, move from pillar to post looking for – contentment… happy to be living in the land of camellias, where kitty cats drink out of the bird bath, and possums hang out on the carport.

The end!