Working the Soil


If I am in the kitchen and happen to look out the window, more often than not these days I notice a robin, moving about and then stopping, then moving about and stopping over and over again in search of something to eat. I think it is the same robin that did the same thing last year at this time because that particular robin has taken up residence in the same nest as last year.

I hope the robin can't tell I put a Christmas ornament in the nest. It made the perfect decoration with snow all around.

Funny how the seasons slip in and out of our lives as we hurry about. One day you notice that mountain of snow that you thought would never go away has melted and grass is in need of cutting. Spring flowers have pushed their way through the cold, blossoming just when you need a bit of color in the landscape, and your heart.
Yesterday my son Brian and I went on our favorite cruise, taking us through Amish country. Signs of spring were everywhere. Roadside stands were opening up. Soil was being worked. Planting season is near. Gardens will soon blossom and then the weeding begins, then the picking and the canning and then the wind turns chilly and the process of seasons turning right under our nose continues on as the clock ticks and life keeps passing by.
Those of us who live with four seasons coming in and out of our lives, noticing the changes is easier.
Taking the time to notice what Mother Nature is up to is up to us.

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