In the blink of an eye

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In the blink of an eye – a phrase referring to a quick and often significant change and/or one with larger-than-usual consequences. Within the past few weeks I’ve experienced this three times, each one causing me to pause and reassess. First was a family member who suffered a fall while working outside. He had family close by to attend to him, and miraculously he wasn’t seriously hurt, although he easily could have broken his back, neck, or cracked his skull.

The second was a car accident we witnessed while driving home. A large SUV drove off the side of the road, broke through a guardrail, and fell halfway down a steep embankment, nose towards the creek at the bottom. We immediately stopped and called 911 requesting help. The driver climbed out of the car and up the embankment, but his passenger was badly hurt and was quite hysterical. She was eventually removed from the car and carried up into an ambulance with a compound fracture to her leg, a possible hip dislocation, and maybe a broken pelvis. My appreciation has been renewed for EMT’s, firefighters, first responders, state patrol, sheriffs, and all those well-trained people who we rely on for their quickness, their expertise, and their compassion.

And thirdly I learned of the death of a friend, an inquisitive man whose career had been as a newspaper reporter. Doug Grow appreciated good writing and was always interested in each and every person’s story. Conversations with him were varied, long, and always enjoyable. He and his wife Sheila introduced us to the best fish-fry restaurants and bars in northwest Wisconsin where we shared stories, engaging conversations, and laughs over food and drink. He lived a life that was committed to his community, to his wife, and to his family.

The morning after reading of Doug’s death, I woke up before the sunrise after not sleeping well. Standing in front of the window, I stopped to observe the present moment – to pause and appreciate the stillness and quiet of the early morning. Only after this pause did I sit down with my cup of coffee, pen, and paper to try and sort out my thoughts. Eventually the sun cleared the horizon and burned off the steam that was rising from the lake. The air was beginning to warm and the still lake was calling me. I walked out in my pajamas and felt the cool, wet dew wrap around my bare feet and toes. Reaching the end of the dock, I sat down on the bench and felt the sun on my face. I listened to the birds, watched the loons, and smelled the freshness of the early morning. I was filled with a renewed awareness and appreciation of the significance of each moment, and the beauty and wonder of being in the world each day and each minute.

Lupine dawn

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Spring has arrived in all her glory. Because we are in the North woods of Wisconsin, spring first starts with the ephemerals – the short-lived flowers that bloom before the tree canopy has reached its fullness. They’re usually found on the edges of the woods where they can collect as much sunshine as possible, and often they line the sides of our county roads and highways.

It’s a beautiful and changing thing to see, reminding me of the 1960’s (yes, I’m that old!) when Lady Bird Johnson promoted planting flowers in urban areas and along the sides of the highways to add color and beauty. She said “Where flowers bloom, so does hope – and hope is the precious, indispensable ingredient.” And hope is one thing I always associate with springtime as we pass out of the dark and cold of winter.

The blood root and white trillium have already bloomed and faded. The violets, hepatica, northern starflower, wild geranium, and pink lady’s slipper are now coming into bloom. But my favorite is the native wild lupine. Like sentinels, they stand upright along the road providing a lovely burst of blue and purple, and even some white. Two years ago we collected native lupine seeds, dried them, and then scattered them along the edges of the road leading to our lake. We nervously looked for their plants the next spring. Some germinated and some didn’t. But wild lupine takes two years to bloom, so we waited another year. And we’re now rewarded with their cheerful and welcoming blooms as we pass on the road. Hopefully they will scatter their seeds this year, and we will continue to enjoy their announcement of spring and hope in the coming years.

In the quiet moments of spring

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I’ve been patiently waiting for the arrival of spring. It doesn’t come with fanfare or trumpets announcing its arrival. It comes gradually, and often in starts and stops. The ice went out on the lake awhile ago but the lake temperature is warming slowly. The grass is eventually becoming green – that “new” green that almost shines and glows in the sunlight. It’s the green that hasn’t yet been dried out with the heat of a summer sun.

The loons have returned to the lake and have joined the chorus of Canada geese, ducks, and even the swans and sandhill cranes. The welcome cacophony of calls often stops me in my tracks. The wood ducks are back too, floating by the shoreline, searching for that “perfect” house to lay their eggs and eventually raise their young.

And slowly the trees are getting their new-spring buds. There are a few oak leaves that cling to the branches – they’ve held on throughout last fall and winter and provide a clatter when the spring wind rustles through. But they’ll be replaced soon with a burst of new leaves that will provide the much-appreciated shade from the summer sun’s heat. Until then we watch the buds get bigger, soaking up warmer temperatures and sunshine.

Two nights ago I watched as the setting sun raked its shadow across the opposite shoreline. The golden light gradually diminished into dark, the winds stilled and the lake surface quieted to glass. And then a near-full moon rose above the trees and slowly spread its reflection in the calm lake, reminding me that spring has arrived. Get out and enjoy it – this “shortest” season we have.

Outside – Inside

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The outside world has not transitioned to spring. We’ve had snow, sleet, rain, and a thick ice that covered everything — the trees, the walkways, the electrical lines, the fences, and the barbed wire. Suspended in the cold air, the ice drips froze in place. It was eerie to see, and even stranger to watch as the temperatures rose. The wind picked up and the ice began falling from the electrical lines and trees. As I parked my car, it was like a hail storm with bits of ice raining down from the overhead tree branches.

But there’s a respite with being indoors, especially at the McNeely Conservatory in Saint Paul. Spring is at its finest without the cold, the snow, or the ice. Here it’s a feast of color with flowers and plants that make us yearn for the warmth of spring. And there’s a scent of green and color that can’t be denied. Poppies, tulips, ranunculus – all blooming without any care to the outside cold. A truly wonderful escape from our long winter season.

The pendulum season

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We are in the pendulum season – where it is spring one day and winter the next, in which ever direction the pendulum settles. We’ve enjoyed a false spring of moderate temperatures where everyone had a smile on their face. Then quickly winter came again, with it’s surprise snow, cold winds, and freezing temperatures. The other morning we woke to a fresh coating of two inches of snow. It had rained before turning to snow, allowing the wet snow to collect on the branches and trees.

It’s a slow and unreliable process to change from winter to spring, and all we can do is swing with the pendulum. We keep winter coats, hats and boots handy, along with a light spring jacket. I have seen some open water, especially in the creeks where there’s a current flowing. And with that we’ve had mallards and swans that have come back into the area.

Eventually the pendulum will swing all the way forward to spring and we will put our cold and snow behind us. We’ll look to greening grass and leaves on the trees – it can’t be much further ahead!