The Collective

There have been geese flying over the farm these days.  Migrating, maybe, or maybe just shifting from pond to pond in search of breakfast.  Mornings are different now.  The sun rises brightly and heads higher in the sky.  

The birds sing.  Leaves emerge from buds.  Green replaces brown.  It's a feast and the table is set for everyone.  The guest list is inclusive - all are deserving.

This brings to mind.....

 WILD GEESE, by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

Tell me about your despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain 

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile, the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.

Ah, to be able to express these things in a way that only Mary Oliver could.

There are times when we feel disconnected from the world, separate and alone.  Spring arrives as a poignant reminder that we are all interconnected, part of something greater than ourselves - a collective experience that transcends individual boundaries.  Spring teaches us to embrace our interconnectedness, to recognize that our actions ripple through the web of existence, shaping the world around us and contributing to the shared narrative of humanity and the natural world.

Though we are headed into a colder week ahead, there is no doubt that Spring has arrived here on the farm -  this year, almost a month ahead of schedule.  There are leaves on the willow trees - the earliest I have witnessed here.

 The daffodils in the front pasture are blooming - weeks ahead of their norm.  

Wildflowers are emerging in every crack and crevice.  There is an explosion of life happening - and I find it all so intoxicating!  I am so happy to be able to share it here with you.

We enjoyed a quiet weekend here on the farm.  Unbelievably, we had to mow the garden before it became a jungle!  I am so excited to have a long spring to enjoy this year.

A few weeks ago, while on a woods walk I found a stick, bleached by the sun that looked like it would make a beautiful walking stick.  Jack took it to his shop, trimmed it, filled in a couple of cracks, and sanded it beautifully.  I had an idea in mind to try to carve something into the top of the stick. 

And so, this weekend, I watched a few You Tube videos on the subject of wood carving and gave it a try.  Here is the personality that emerged from the wood.  What you don't see are the many spots of red further down the stick - blood from the several gouges on my non-dominate thumb and hand.  I am hoping to get better at this craft - if I don't bleed myself to death, first!

Great news!  We have seedlings emerging in the greenhouse!!

And... I have decided upon a color scheme for Maven Haven.  As soon as the weather is warm enough, I will begin to paint her in this color scheme...

(Truth be told... this little house would be my perfect house to live in!)