Monday, March 17, 2008

First green

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into summer's magic.

Only some Borland to share tonight: "It's all a matter of proportion, and of the season. Two months from now there will be bees and blossoms and balmy air, and so much green that one new shoot will go unnoticed. But right now the sight of a crocus poking up and a few courageous daffodil tips showing is reason for exclamation and delight. Spring!

It isn't Spring, of course. Not yet. But those first few tips of green, that venture out of Winter darkness into the light again, mean that things are beginning to happen down at the root. We won't necessarily open all the windows tomorrow, and we certainly won't take down the storm sash or put away the overcoat and the galoshes. Ice isn't yet something that comes only out of the refrigerator, and we still know what a snowflake looks like. But to know again the gold or purple chalice of a crocus and to see the green fingers of a daffodil certainly warms the heart.

Right now, those few shoots of new, fresh green are more important than a whole forest of green will be in May. Those shoots are a promise of May's green forest and the performance of March's seasonal miracle. March, when the hilltops are still as brown as December, when you wonder if you will recognize an oriole's song again, when you think even a dandelion might be beautiful, needs such miracles.

Maybe there aren't many such shoots yet. There shouldn't be, in the order of things. Miracles aren't a dime a dozen, after all, even this kind. But they do catch the hungry human eye and they lift the spirit. We yearn for them, and we cherish them. We haven't yet lost our sense of proportion. We won't, until May.
" --from Sundial of the Seasons

The neighbor's snowdrops are tattered now, but she has crocus! There's also what I think may be a cherry tree with a sunny southern exposure that's come into bloom in the last day or two. The star magnolia in my front garden has just started peeling back her
winter's velvet to reveal the pink-edged negligee underneath. There's still only the fingertips of daffodils though. The oriole's song is still a dream, yes, but the chickadees are singing their "fee-bee, fee-bay" songs. What's the weather report from your neighborhood? Is it still snowing? ;-)

10 comments:

bobbie said...

Thank goodness, no, it is not snowing in Cape May County. We have had some really beautiful days here. Chilly, but beautiful. The crocus picture at the beginning of your blog cheered me this morning. Thank you for that. :)

DK & The Fluffies said...

We've already begun tulip blooming here!

dguzman said...

We're getting the classic "wintry mix" today, but it's mostly just rain -- which of course has me thinking about my basement. Again.
:(

Ruth said...

We had a few sunny days, for which I was very grateful. Now we are back to cloud, fog, freezing rain, snow. We still have 4 feet of snow on our lawn. No green shoots anywhere. But the birds are returning...

KGMom said...

I think we probably have similar weather--here in central PA, overcast today, forecast of RAIN tomorrow. No snow, just rain.

Anonymous said...

I need to look and see if our snow drops have arrived! Great colors of green!

Mary said...

No snow yet. Pout. Getting some rain. Smile. Spring is here :o)

Lovely post, Laura.

RG said...

Pretty crocus flowers!

Spring is a bit slow here in the Pac. NW. Daffodils in full bloom, forsythia showing, tulips in a couple weeks. But, the GRASS is growing .. mowed twice, needs it again but too wet!

Cathy said...

Oh! I loved the pink-edged negligee. You give me hope. No crocus here - only the dream. It's enough:0)

As always - thanks for sharing Borland.

LauraHinNJ said...

Bobbie: You can't help but smile at the sight of crocus!

;-)

Diva Kitty: Tulips already? Only from the grocery store.

Delia: Close your eyes and imagine spring and warm and sun.

Ruth: 4 feet of snow? You poor thing...

KGMom: I'd rather the snow myself!

Monarch: You must have snowdrops already!

Mary: You're looking for hummers... not snow!

Rabbit's Guy: How can it be that you're mowing grass with all those bunnies around?

;-)

Cathy: He always makes me smile somehow.