Sunday, March 22, 2015

Post-Solstice Solace

Last summer, I had the great good fortune to visit one of the most supportive members of the bloggerhood, Thunder. On the door to his world-famous Cacapon Mountain hideaway, there is a sign reading WHEN THE WORLD BURDENS YOU SEEK THE SOLITUDE OF THE FOREST!

The last few days have been rough, me having learned of the deaths of two friends. Luckily, I work in a beautiful location, and though it is not heavily forested, it is a wonderful place in which to take refuge when the world burdens me (I'm really fortunate to have a job which tends to be a stress reliever rather than a source of stress). Today was a glorious sunny day, albeit a chilly one. Most of the snow from Friday's storm has melted and there are many signs of spring. I finally heard the welcome call of the red-winged blackbird, a surefire sign that spring has arrived. The robins (our American robins are large thrushes) have finally returned, and I saw a jaunty mockingnbird as well. I saw two male wood ducks, likely from last year's local brood, in our pond. There are black-headed scaups of uncertain provenance in the pond, likely mid-migration, and the hooded mergansers have returned to the ice-free waters. Perhaps most welcome of all (though I hate to play favorites), the killdeer, those comical noisy birds, so much like crazy windup toys, have returned. Watching the returning birds and listening to their calls is a surefire way to life one's sagging spirits.

Nature has a palliative power... when the world burdens you, take solace in the world.

4 comments:

mikey said...

We're having a beautiful, early spring here. Of course, the fact that we never had anything that could remotely be identified as 'winter' makes 'early spring' kind of dumb construct.

But as much as I was enjoying it, the pollen density approaches infinity, and I have to keep the house hermetically sealed in order to keep the worst of the allergies from crippling me.

I WANT to enjoy the spring, but it's trying to kill me...

Big Bad Bald Bastard said...

But as much as I was enjoying it, the pollen density approaches infinity, and I have to keep the house hermetically sealed in order to keep the worst of the allergies from crippling me.

Have you got a neti pot? I swear by one come pollen season.

Anonymous said...

Bald coffee granuals.

ifthethunderdontgetya™³²®© said...

I need to get back there myself, B^4.

P.S. It's been a long time since I saw the comments on that post. I don't think I could rate for toad flautas.
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