Spring?

Friends, I want to share a wonderful essay I received a few days ago from my friend Marjorie on the East Coast. It moved me to think about the world around us, and how we move in concert with nature whether we realize it or not. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did...

Silver Lake continues to reveal itself so charmingly, year after year, in all the different seasons.

This year the ice has stayed the entire season. Not necessarily safe to walk or skate on, but very little open water. That has been unusual.

The swans have taken to sitting in the middle of the ice, sometimes quite still, which has alarmed several of us in the past, fearing that the birds were somehow frozen into the ice and unable to move. But yesterday the swans were rather restless. Clearly not stuck to the ice.They sat for a while, but kept shifting, adjusting themselves, but with no particular goal evident. Just sitting.

But when I next saw them, a short time later, there were two swans, both walking on the ice, but with totally diffferent demeanors about them. The lead swan was strutting along, head held high, clearly the more experienced of the two. The second swan had his (or her) head tucked down, wings bent down almost dragging along the ice, as if to help her balance with each uncertain step she took. And with each step the swan's feet slid, looking like it were her first time on ice skates. She did not look happy.

Then, something happened. The first swan started running, and after came the less confident swan (unhappily) running as well. I could hear their feet slapping on the ice. Then they were airborne, and gently honking. They lifted up slowly, headed around the island, circled, and when they came back past me they were much higher, still gently honking, soared over the trees and out of the neighborhood. There is another pond nearby that I've heard they spend time at here in town. Clearly they had decided it was time for a change. Or at least one of them had decided this, and the other...well, sometimes change comes, whether one is ready or not. Whether with confident grace or slipping and sliding, it's going to happen. And if one is lucky, you might even end up flying.

Looking forward to spring!

Love, Marjorie

Thanks, Marjorie! And guess what, all? I saw an eagle today in my neighborhood! It was high up in a tree, looking down into the field and the creek below. I've seen eagles flying over the Hudson River plenty of times, but never up in cow country -- my neck of the woods.

Keep your chin up! Spring is almost here, and you never know what you'll see!

The Trad