Encountering Earth

Spring arrived on March 19, St. Joseph's Day, so I went out looking for evidence of it. Saturday I went to Five Rivers searching especially for Wood Ducks. I saw Black Ducks and Mallards and lots of Geese, but no Wood Ducks. Painted Turtles had ventured out to sun themselves on logs. Spring Peepers and Wood Frogs were cacophonous! Honeysuckle leaves were just easing open, checking out the weather. Willow branches had turned their yellowish golden color, swaying in the breeze. Pussy willows bloomed with buds of soft whitish "toes". Maples were budding too in a rich crimson. Alders sported their cat-kins. I found a lovely sun-soaked spot where colt's foot smiled their sweet yellow flowers. No Wood Ducks Sunday I went to Vicher's Ferry. The day struggled to get out of the 30's, but the sky was bright blue. Wigeons, Ring-Necked Ducks, Black Ducks, Mallards, Gadwalls, Canada Geese by the score. Red-winged Blackbirds flashed orange-red shoulder patches and called r...

The other day I was taking a walk in Central Park around Iroquois "Lake". It was a very warm day, the ice was melting, the snow was gone. A man came up to me - all smiles- and said, "The geese are here, can Spring be far behind? After only it's only two weeks away!" Of course, he didn't realize that he was giving me depressing information not heralding good news! I always have a very difficult time saying good-bye to winter. I loath the rising temperatures and the loss of ice and snow. I miss Winter's quiet beauty and peace. So I said to myself, "Self, get over it!" This is what it is so embrace it. Taking the cue about the geese I went over to Vischer's Ferry on the weekend. Lots of geese in the business of setting up nests. Lots of ducks! There were a great variety of species - mallards, wigeons, pintails, hooded mergansers and a few I couldn't identify. There was even one lone snow goose. The drakes were sporting their breeding plu...