Spring is upon us. New bonds and paths to tread. The first part of this post was written a month ago. It was half finished and I wasn’t in the mood to complete it until now – so let’s have a go. I’m not going to chance the first bit to fit into the second – because I can’t be bothered and want things that were last month to be read as they were – if you see what I mean!

First half:

The month of March, my birth month, has been swept in by storms from the Atlantic, rain turning to sleet and hail, then snow, and settling on the frozen ground. Like Winter’s last defiant stand before he fades into next year. Like Jack Frost and Greenman’s battle at the festival of Imbolc. Amongst the white and silver and beneath the still-naked trees, the tiny delicate nodding snowdrop heads bring a smile to my face. White as winter they may be, but they also carry the green kiss of spring. My birth flower, the Daffodil, is also well on its way – ready to bring happiness to the fore, like a reflection of the Sun. And the longer light, that we are enjoying now, lit up the clumps of wild primroses growing by the wayside on the road that I drove today in North Yorkshire – a pale, delicate baby yellow that delights the visual senses and always helps to reaffirm my relationship with this season. Foxes have been crying in search of mates. Birds are pairing and singing for territory and partners in order to achieve, I guess, the ultimate life prize – their children, sending their genes into eternity. In the process we are treated to the most beautiful concert of song.

I intend to make a concerted effort to spend as much time with these short – lived Spring experiences as I can. I will try to get out and about and spend time looking at the flowers and remembering them – for they won’t be with us for long. As surely as Spring has arrived, as always, it will move into the past more swiftly than we can keep up – these Spring delights will once again disappear and hide for another year. I might long to see them again, but they won’t be there – I will have to wait another full circle until they show themselves again. So I’ll try to collect these memories in sight, touch and smell and sound. Who knows, I may even make good on my promise to myself to wake up before dawn, towards the end of Spring / beginning of Summer, and listen to the Dawn Chorus! It would be a shame to never hear it properly.

My Christian friends are getting ready to celebrate Easter – the most important time for them – parallels drawn between the meaning stored in Christian story and that of more ancient beliefs from this country – rebirth and continuity of life, recycling of all matter from life and light into death and dark, and from dark and death into light and life.

Recently I have come to know Lion, at first he seemed as commanding as thunder and as inspiring as a bright blue sky. Lion made a big impression on all he met. We wished him and his Pride only the best. But then he did something which made me realise that it’s actually the Lioness, not the Lion, who is  deserving of respect.

This month I’ve been able to spend more time with the children in my family. They continue to bring me joy and contentment. Nephew’s birthday – very pleased to share it with him – seems 5 minutes since he was having his first!

I’ve spent time with all my friends recently – one in particular is still having a dark time due to happenings in one area of her life. I feel bad as there is nothing I can do to help with this but I hope in time things will start looking up for her, and that maybe a very negative situation can bear some positives too, in the end. Dark into light.

Part two:

April has brought variation in tempo. Heat worthy of sandals one week and waking up to three inches of snow the next – Jack Frost cometh when least expected. And spare a thought for the insects caught out by his bone-chilling kiss. Help them where you can – put frost bitten bees and butterflies in the sun and feed them sugar solution soaked into cotton wool. Small these creatures may be but they hold us where we are. Lose them and we come crashing down.

Daffodils are beautiful this year – their trumpets seem proudly defiant of the cold snap and ‘hosts’ of them have delighted several of my senses. Now Spring is moving forward and bringing on wild garlic and it’s clouds of white flowers, Jack by the Hedge, white star anemones, bluebells and snakes head fritillaries.

Work has had some unsettling moments. Good people left and leaving. However on the whole I work with a very worthy team of people and personalities and find I am lucky to do so. New friends made at work and I’m looking forward to knowing them better in the future. I’ve questioned leaving to go elsewhere – but perhaps not just yet. Stay for now and think again at a future point.

I made sure I visited the vineyard for Holly’s birthday. Again a lovely day – weather not yet warm enough for outside sitting but the view was nonetheless beautiful!

I’ve also visited Parceval Hall Gardens twice this year – I can’t get enough of the peace and solitude there. I went there with a friend on the first visit and then alone on the second – spring flowers are in abundance now and the two old cherry trees standing guard in the terraced garden outside the house had burst into full bloom on the second visit. Delicate white blossom petals waving in the breeze. I climbed right up to the top of the hill – a steep climb but worth it. As you start to descend a short flight of steps to the viewing point you step out of the tree line and put your face in the wind, turn to the right and you have the bench right on the top dedicated to two women who have passed away. And there you have it the view up the valley – between the two hill faces. The wind streams down it and rejuvenates the lungs. I really enjoyed and paused to appreciate this sensation of breathing such clean (well cleaner than anything in a town) air.

Today I visited my sister. I love the drive over to hers – such beautiful countryside, I also managed to drive through one of the villages at exactly the same time of year as I had done last year or year before – and as such was party to their annual scarecrow festival. Scarecrows normally disconcert me (does what it says on the tin I guess!) but some of these are well worth a look! I drove past the ginger bread house but this looked a little dulled today – I’m not sure why. A lovely day spent with her too at a place that rescues birds of prey. I held some and I even managed to get wing-slapped in the face by a Great Grey Owl – but it didn’t hurt and I didn’t mind.

The slapper:

We had snow and sleet again this morning on my drive across but by the time I returned the major theme was spring yellow sunshine rays emanating from behind the few clouds remaining in the bright blue sky.

Lambs are now large in the fields (when I wrote part 1 there were hardly any about). Chestnut tree leaves are slowly unfurling – the land is greening again. The birds nesting is in full swing and I wouldn’t be surprised if we see fledglings shortly. I enjoyed the late evening sun as I drove back – and counted the fourth Heron I’ve seen in two days – two in flight over my path and two in fields hunting. I saw my first swallow around two weeks ago – wonder what they made of the snow this week! I haven’t seen any swifts yet but am certainly looking forward to their return – the last to arrive and the first to leave.

 

In general life is good and tomorrow is Beltaine.

Until next time – all hail the Sun and Spring.

PS: Don’t forget to make time for doing things that make you squeal ‘WEEEEEEEE’ in gay abandon from time to time – rewakening the carefree energy that has been in us since childhood!

I did it driving over a big hill today!