March 21, 2014

Spring flowers, blooming indoors.

The birds are worked up into a frenzy of song today.

I can hear their happy chirp, chirp, chirping in the sunshine.

I think they might sense that it’s supposed to top out at 50 degrees today. To put that in perspective for those of us that have been lingering in the polar vortex…I believe that would be 100 degrees warmer than the day of our coldest wind chill (50 degrees below zero) a few short months ago.

Hooray for sunshine, blue skies and climbing temperatures!

Sumac under Spring skies.

Harry and I have planted a few things to keep thoughts of spring inside too. Two mini greenhouses are at work, balanced on the glass table top of a croc pot, just below one of the living room windows.  They use coconut fiber to retain the moisture needed for the flower seeds to germinate and grow for the next two weeks.  There’s a clear plastic lid that creates a tiny greenhouse effect where the plants can be nurtured by humid temperatures and consistent moisture. We are growing orange and yellow zinnias, and multi-colored coleus (something bright and beautiful and they grow quickly, so almost immediately gratifying.) Little green shoots have already broken the soil.

I have also extended my green thumb to 14 little fiber pots holding the seeds of basil, rosemary, chives, cilantro, dill and sage. They are sitting in the window light on top of my office desk, soaking up the early morning sunshine. Those can be transplanted outside when the ground thaws, but I’m not really certain when that will be.

And then there are these little ceramic figurines that were planted with grass seed on our bedroom windowsill.  They are for little ones who might not have the patience for other growing cycles. The grass pops up after a day or two in bright light.  You can give the animals - we are growing an elephant, a hippopotamus and a monkey - a haircut and the grass will continue to grow…and grow…and grow.

An elephant, a hippopotamus and a monkey.

I was helping my brother pack more of the things that he has accumulated over the last five years living at the same little house on the lake, today.  He has progressively been moving to Chicago over the last month or so…paying two rents, which would be a burden to anyone, I think. 

He is a hunter and fisherman and appreciator of all things outdoors. The difference between what I had to pack when boxing up Harry’s and my belongings for storage, and what my brother had to pack probably couldn’t be further apart on the spectrum of possessions. Mounted deer heads and bear rugs, fishing poles, other sports stuff (including Green Bay Packer-related tchotchkes) and of course, man tools. There was the house, the garage and the basement all stuffed full of stuff. He was living with two other adult males and for anyone who wants to start a discussion about how women accumulate things?  Well, be prepared. All three of them were accumulators of things…not the same kinds of things...not shoes (although there were plenty pairs of boots and waders and steel-toed this and that) or clothes (camouflage was everywhere) or fine china (lots of shot glasses and beer mugs)…just, a lot of things…guy things. 

Possessions of my brother, the outdoorsman.

Some time has passed since I wrote what is above and what I am writing now.

I decided that it would be a good idea to spend most of the day in the out of doors. With the temperature approaching 50 degrees, and the bird’s chirp, chirp, chirping, a welcoming sound, it seemed the thing to do. 

I would get a jump on the yard work, even though there is snow predicted early next week. It certainly couldn’t hurt. We didn’t get the last of fall’s leaves (it was actually a lot more than just the last leaves of fall…) raked up before the snow came, so we are actually quite behind on the yard work.

I got the wooden cart (with two wheels the size of bicycle tires) out of the garage and set about raking. And raking. And raking.

For five hours, I raked. 

Taking load after load after load (seven in all) to the woods to dump on top of the leaf and branch piles that have become our own homemade habitats for the woodland creatures. 

Home for the woodland creatures.

Wet leaves are really, really, really heavy. Really heavy.

And then there are the twigs.

Thousands and thousands of them.  It most certainly must be because of the kinds of trees that Mom has around the yard.  They drop twigs and tiny little branches…everywhere.

It seemed when I had already raked and loaded and carried and dumped leaves for a couple of hours that I just wouldn't be able to physically finish what I had set out to finish. My arms were aching and fatigued. My lower back stiff and sore.

But, I had a goal. 

So, I kept pushing, having little pep talks with myself along the way. Trying to convince myself that there was actually less geography to complete my goal than it seemed.

I started back behind the house, raked behind the garage (at least to a point where snow still covered the ground) around the side of the garage and to the front side yard, where the split rail fence separates the lawn from the road. That is ONLY about ¼ of my Mother’s yard, honestly.  One quarter of her yard and it took me 5 hours to finish it!

But I did finish it...

I was exhausted.

Where I raked.  Where I didn't.

When I brought Harry home from school, we sat in a chair in the corner of the living room (he on my lap) and we stuck Peter Rabbit stickers into his Peter Rabbit sticker book.  Every time he spoke, he startled me awake. Every time there was just a mere moment of silence, my eyelids drooped and slowly closed.

The thing is…it felt good.  Good to be so exhausted that I literally couldn’t keep my eyes open...to have taken in so much fresh air in one afternoon...to be so physically spent.

There is plenty more lawn and a gazillion leaves and twigs to haul to the woods. I’m looking forward to getting it all done, really. 

So good to have sore muscles.

So good to clear my head in the fresh air.

So good to accomplish something so needing accomplishing.