I sing of brooks, of blossoms, birds, and bowers;
Of April, May, of June, and July-flowers.
~Robert Herrick
I had the wonderful good fortune to experience several weeks of the loveliest Spring at our farm -- filled with nesting birds & bursting blossoms, full moon magic, chattering chipmunks, zipping hummingbirds, bounding bunnies, yipping coyote, dancing deer...it truly was an awesome display of the beauty of Mother Nature at her finest! These are just a few of the photos, since, of course, most of the time I was without camera when the antics were happening. Nevertheless, I soaked them up with my soul and they are continuing to nourish me every day.
This special time "apart" was a sort of working retreat, and work I DID! So much was accomplished by the toil and sweat of my brow (and other places) and it felt so completely in harmony with everything. There is something deeply gratifying about hard, physical labor and the immediate results it brings! I think I seriously annoyed the critters who've been inhabiting the barn by cleaning out their various nests, webs, and hiding places, and by moving the tractor and all its attachments out (they went to a very good home with a collector who will restore them to former glory!) It was a very emotional moment when the 1935 Massey-Fergusen tractor "led" the 1949 Ford out of its hibernation of a decade or so into the light of day. I'm very pleased that it will be lovingly restored and have a whole new life!
I learned many things from this retreat time. One very dramatic impact was being "unplugged" from my usual electronic, internet and media sources, since there is no TV, only one decent radio station, and no internet readily available. I was depending solely on my smartphone, and found I quickly tired of squinting to see things on a 3-inch screen. Consequently, I was able to be disconnected from most things and it changed my whole sense of the passage of time. Everything slowed to a gentle, soothing pace. I worked, slept, ate when I felt like it, rather than according to a preconceived or habitual pattern. My time was truly my own to spend pretty much as I wished--well, almost. The quiet was palpable and awakening to birdsong, heavenly!
I am now back in my "usual" routine, but striving mightily to hold onto that profound sense of peace and connection to nature that was born of my time with her. It is indeed humbling to realize that the world does go on without our constant attention and input, and that we are empowered by our choices, wherever we are, as to how to spend our precious life moments. The incredible difference in the quality of my experience of life while unplugged will stay with me, deeply nurturing my spirit, and I will attempt to share it here through words and images, so that it might encourage those who are needing "more" from life to see that there is a tremendous, often untapped and unnoticed array of beauty and blessing available simply by stopping to smell the roses. Or howl at the moon. Or watch a bird build its nest. Peace, be still...
This special time "apart" was a sort of working retreat, and work I DID! So much was accomplished by the toil and sweat of my brow (and other places) and it felt so completely in harmony with everything. There is something deeply gratifying about hard, physical labor and the immediate results it brings! I think I seriously annoyed the critters who've been inhabiting the barn by cleaning out their various nests, webs, and hiding places, and by moving the tractor and all its attachments out (they went to a very good home with a collector who will restore them to former glory!) It was a very emotional moment when the 1935 Massey-Fergusen tractor "led" the 1949 Ford out of its hibernation of a decade or so into the light of day. I'm very pleased that it will be lovingly restored and have a whole new life!
I learned many things from this retreat time. One very dramatic impact was being "unplugged" from my usual electronic, internet and media sources, since there is no TV, only one decent radio station, and no internet readily available. I was depending solely on my smartphone, and found I quickly tired of squinting to see things on a 3-inch screen. Consequently, I was able to be disconnected from most things and it changed my whole sense of the passage of time. Everything slowed to a gentle, soothing pace. I worked, slept, ate when I felt like it, rather than according to a preconceived or habitual pattern. My time was truly my own to spend pretty much as I wished--well, almost. The quiet was palpable and awakening to birdsong, heavenly!
I am now back in my "usual" routine, but striving mightily to hold onto that profound sense of peace and connection to nature that was born of my time with her. It is indeed humbling to realize that the world does go on without our constant attention and input, and that we are empowered by our choices, wherever we are, as to how to spend our precious life moments. The incredible difference in the quality of my experience of life while unplugged will stay with me, deeply nurturing my spirit, and I will attempt to share it here through words and images, so that it might encourage those who are needing "more" from life to see that there is a tremendous, often untapped and unnoticed array of beauty and blessing available simply by stopping to smell the roses. Or howl at the moon. Or watch a bird build its nest. Peace, be still...
