Monday, March 9, 2009

An Ode To Spring

Spring is on it's way here in the valley, the tulips just starting to poke their green blades up through the half-frozen earth. In the places where the sun reaches, the ground is mud, exuding the aroma of fresh new earth and growing things, and even on the coldest days, the sun carries a hint of the warmth to come.


Not far from here, though, lies the reservoir, iced-over yet. There are still fishermen in their ice shacks, holding their frozen hands over the feeble warmth of their heaters, waiting for just one more fish to catch hold and become dinner. We stood on the banks yesterday, watching as the snowflakes swirled around and scudded across the frozen lake, white as far as we could see. The sand and rocks are a dusty brown, the smell of decaying fish and rotting leaves overlaid with the crisp scent of winter. The ice is rough where it has thawed and frozen again and again, laying in sheets upon the sandy shore. We walked out as far as we dared, our footing precarious as the snow covered the icy surface, trying to imagine how easily we could be lost in the blinding white if we tried to walk across. Finally, we stepped back to the shore and simply watched. There were ducks flying past, perhaps looking for a thawed spot in which to land, perhaps just ogling the huge expanse as we were. Soon there will be pelicans arriving from everywhere to roost and spend the summer, floating just under the spillway where the fish will be plentiful. The barren shore will slowly begin to turn green, the moss and the grass and the trees providing a cover for the birds that come to nest, the badgers and raccoons that will inevitably invade our campsite. Spring will come later here, this place which is still in the grips of winter, but its arrival is imminent.

This to me is life, standing on what looks to be the edge of the world, watching the tail end of winter swoop down and give a final blast. It is life to stand on the frozen water and smell the wind, to feel the flakes of snow land light in hair, to feel the tingle of digits as they begin to succumb to the cold. This is life, where just under the surface of something that appears dead and useless surge the beginnings of new things.

13 comments:

April said...

Beautiful!
Love you.

FreedomFirst said...

"This is life, where just under the surface of something that appears dead and useless surge the beginnings of new things."

Thanks. I needed to hear that today. :)

Ms. Moon said...

You know what, Kori? That was beautiful.

GypsiAdventure said...

Sorry I've been away...hang in there, the beauty and magic of spring is just around the corner! :)

Thinking of you~
~K

Anonymous said...

*sigh* I miss seasons...

HalfAsstic.com said...

That was beautiful, Kori. And inspiring. I wish the best for you and your family.

Mnemosyne said...

Lovely! I love love loved this post Kori!

Anonymous said...

Damn where did this winter go? It was kind of drive-by wasn't it? Here in Colorado its about the same, trying desperately to hold on, but failing by midday.

Now I know why you got picked for syndication.

Martin said...

Dunno why, but I really wanna watch the Walton's now.

justme said...

That was beautiful Kori, thanks...

I am a huge fan of Spring myself, with it's energy of birth and re-birth...it always feels like a chance to start anew after the harsh dark of winter.

I love it, and cannot wait.

(Although this morning it was 3 below out here; just Winter grasping us for one last hoorah before beautiful Spring swoops in and pushes him out for good...)

Mama Smurf said...

Where exactly is it? It sure hasn't showed it's face here in MI!

Lovely post tho.

Anna-b-bonkers said...

Hi Kori!!! (waving franticly)

It has been so long since I have been around in blog land and I miss reading up on you. I feel like i have no idea what is going on anymore but my focus has had to be at home for a while.
Miss you though, hugs!!

Shiona said...

So happy the weather's starting to get nice. This was a great Ode to Spring. I like the same quote as Freedom First.