SPRING AWAKENS - FLOWERS AND FRIENDS AT PATINA MEADOW

The first days of spring arrive on the gusts of the last winter winds, carrying the sweet scent of thawing earth and new life.

In the early hours of the morning, the cold air billows and cuts through my clothing. Goosebumps rise in response. Though my skin feels the chill, the bright rays of the reappearing sun dance upon me as well, bringing warmth to my soul after a long season of darkness.

The arrival of this season brings my favorite sort of beauty, soft in nature and delicate to the touch. It won’t last long, so I am off to search it out.

My first stop is the Orchard. Once stark, bare branches have begun to adorn themselves with blooms of pink and white, fluttering in the breeze and filtering the light so the day can be seen through rose-colored petals.

The flitting florets twirl like the fairies that danced through my childhood imagination. Magic may escape us as we grow, but it is there if we allow ourselves to be enchanted.

The flowers have arrived early this year, a welcome treat, yet also a dreaded sight. Winter is not yet finished, and once the frost returns, it will claim them, sending petals to the earth. But for now, their elegance is a grace I will savor as long as it lasts.

As I walk through the hallways of peaches and apple trees, I mind the blooming daffodils, careful that my boots do not crush their slender stems. I love these first flowers, the soft spotlight of their pale yellow ruffles, the way each elongated stem teeters with every gust. The chickens and guinea hens are less careful, scratching and pecking at the base of the foliage in search of grubs, or flitting about like little sparks of energy among the blooms.

Peering through the pink blossoms of the peach trees, the entrance to the barn comes into view.

Most of the animals have begun their way to the pasture, but a few linger, nibbling the remnants of breakfast, bathed in the soft light filtering through the fruit trees.

I imagine no one greets this new season with more eagerness than our animals. Their excitement grows as they watch blades of grass reach toward the sunlight. They congregate, prance, and play while awaiting the gate’s opening, energy rising in anticipation of a day spent munching on the sweet, tender sprouts.

Once the latch is lifted and the gate swung open, they are off to the races, eyes fixed on the ground, finding their rhythm: trot, trot, nibble, nibble… trot, trot to the next spot.

It is joyful work, but work nonetheless, so they always make time for rest.

Though I would love to spend all day with them, this swiftly moving season does not allow me the time. My day holds tasks of its own, so I offer a few pets to the curious ones at my feet and retreat to the garden.

I wander once more through the flowering grove, taking one last moment to admire the ephemeral beauty it bears.

I wish this season were longer, that I had more moments to savor all that it brings. But the hours tick by, the world spins and shifts, and I, along with it. I know that if it lasted forever, I would take this new growth for granted and grow tired of the sweet scent that all my favorite flowers emit.

So for now, I will delight in its delicacies. And I hope you will too.

Love,

Leila