The Fourth of March

 It is currently 63 degrees with clear blue skies here at Bear Path Cottage. I just spent a few minutes outside, taking pictures in the gardens and making plans for working this afternoon. Sometime in the last three days, the forsythias all went from buds to blooms, and that little hedge of yellow is a cheery sight!

In early April of 2019, we were waiting to close on the purchase of the Cottage. I was still recovering from my knee replacement surgeries, and Rhodes and my eldest daughter, Katie, constructed a little greenhouse on the deck at the Mountain. She took clippings from the humongous forsythia growing on the Mountain for 20 years and then started 30 forsythia slips for me. To my surprise and great happiness, those survived my care in the greenhouse and have thrived growing on the northeast corner of the Cottage proper, where my father-in-law helped me plant them. Every bright yellow blooming branch will always be a reminder that it is okay to ask for help when you need it and okay to accept help when it is offered. 

The other early yellow bloom in the garden has been shining bright for a few days. In 2022, my sweet friend Wendy sent me a box of daffodil bulbs she had dug up from her gardens. I planted them between the Juneberry trees near the road edge, and for the last two years, they have been bright lights of love and happiness, and some of the earliest blooms of Spring. 

I love having this garden reminder of my dear friend. I think of them as "Wendy's daffs". They stir memories of happy times, good conversations, and hopes of seeing each other again. Wendy's love of her home, gardens, cooking, and family is nothing short of phenomenal and helped me believe that my own dreams of home could come true. (If you read this, dear ladybug, that hippy you're married to ain't so bad either! So much love to you both!)

Spring always wakes the extra deep layers of hope within me. New growth and life are stirring, and old growth is stronger for having come through the winter. Over the next couple of weeks I'll be spending a lot of time outside, talking with the land spirits and observing the way water, air, and light are moving over the land. I don't have any new projects planned for this year, but I need to stay in tune with this tiny ecosystem so I can continue to support it. 

We lift each other up every day. And on the most challenging days, through the darkest times, we offer each other safe space and understanding. This is how love wins. 

This is how we save the world. 

The sweetest thing I saw in the garden this morning was a pair of Mourning Doves. They were walking around together, probably looking for nesting sites. They didn't pay much attention to my presence, other than to walk in the opposite direction from me once they saw me. One had the biggest coral pink blaze on its shoulder that I've ever seen on a dove. So beautiful. I love that they feel safe here. 

I love that I feel safe here, and that I have the opportunity to share portions of this magic with my friends. 

Peace, and much love from Bearpath Cottage.