I was contacted by a neighbor saying they had pink lady’s slippers blooming in their yard; oh, what a wonderful invitation! Semi-hidden amidst some tall grasses, she showed me multiple clumps of these lovely flowers. Pink lady’s slippers are part of the orchid family, and are about 6 to 10 inches tall. They are delicate and stand tall on a single leafless stem. Like other ephemerals they bloom for only a few short days before the deciduous trees form their full canopy of leaves blocking sunlight to the ground. I sat on the ground and marveled at these beauties, thankful that I could enjoy them at their peak.
spring
A full moonrise
A week ago there was a lovely full moonrise. I stood by the lake and waited for the moon to clear the hill and the trees on the opposite shoreline. The wind slowly settled down, and there was a lovely quiet that wrapped around me. The waves calmed and the lake became still. Then the moon appeared – large and pearl colored, and as it rose it seemed that the tops of the trees were supporting it and offering it up to the night sky. I watched and then my ears picked up the haunting call of a loon at the other end of the lake. It all seemed a perfect rite of spring, and I savored this respite from the many worries of the world right now.
The hope of spring
Springtime – a season of change, a season of hope, and a season of color. I’ve always looked forward to spring and its warmth and beauty. In Minnesota spring seems to condense and then open up all in a small time period. It’s as if you can literally watch the grass become green and the leaves pop out from the buds on the trees. Everything draws deep into the color palettes as Mother Nature wakes up from winter. One of my favorite flowers are tulips with all their styles and hues, colors and textures. They are the precursor to the abundance of late spring and summer and all the rich colors that follow. On a dreary day they can be the one bright spot in the garden. And on a sunny day they glow as their colors are set off by the warmth and brilliance of the sun.
Looking inside not out
As we are all social distancing and staying at home, our world is dominated by our views looking out. Many of us have become observers of the transition of seasons, the angle of the sun coming through our windows, and our neighbors that pass by walking their dogs. It’s good to look out to recognize and confirm that winter moves into spring, the sun continues to rise, and our neighbors are still in our neighborhood. That’s what gives us a sense of normalcy in these uncertain times.
This photo takes a different approach and looks inside from the outside. The sunlight streams through the window, lighting the vase amidst the darkness behind it. Shadows are created across the curtain by the window frame. The lace is delicate and beautiful, set off against the coarse texture of the wall. Perhaps our inside worlds are just as beautiful now as the outside world, if we take a moment to observe and appreciate where we are at this moment and what surrounds us.
Pasque flowers for spring
Today is Easter – a day filled with promise, hope, and spring. Yet this year is not like other years. Many of us are celebrating the day without friends and family and without the many traditions that we have come to associate with Easter.
And usually Mother Nature is on board too, but that’s not the case in Minnesota today. I’m looking out the window at snow coming down and collecting on the grass and trees. When the temperature was 60 degrees yesterday I thought the 3-6 inches of predicted snow was wrong, but that just may hold true. Somewhere there are lovely small pasque flowers that are keeping their blossoms closed to protect themselves from the snow. They too know what’s necessary for survival. And yet I know spring will turn the corner, and these flowers will open up again and be thankful for the moisture and the sun. There is promise and hope.
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