Simple Gifts

In the Time of COVID. Day 24

April 11, 2020

Simple Gifts

Tonight is calm. Eric Satie is playing piano in the background. We just came in from the our nightly soak. Above in the moonless night wisps of fog fingers reached ashore and a white owl flew above, it’s belly and under wings softly illuminated by a neighbors’ yard light. The constellations played hide and seek with the clouds.

I have the lingering taste of a tangerine in my lips and a whole head of images from my walks today. Normally we are an arid land, constantly worried about the lack of rain, about the lowering aquifers. That we have lots of Monterey pine here is because those tall beauties capture moisture on their needles at night and each morning they drip the condensation around their bases. They water themselves.

When northern climates are still struggling with snow, our area gets rain and in a good year the landscape is Irish green. The low spots become ponds and Snowy Egrets stand lonesome sentinels, patient for a tadpole dinner. This late winter to spring has been wet and the land is rejoicing.

A reclaimed lot, once a hoarder’s junk yard, is hosting lilies and toward the street, mushrooms are covering the edge. Across the road volunteer white irises are showing their faces. light purple Golly Polies and orange California Poppy are booming. The spring grasses are going too seed and the wind of the morning lightly makes them dance and sway.

On such a morning, a still white cat lays in wait. Down a hillside into the surrounding forest the gobble of the neighborhood wild turkeys is in the air. A fast fluffy squirrel darts across the road. My dog sniffs the margins and alerts to invisible possibilities. The sound is still and natural, The road has few cars to disturb our walk. No one else out.

Today I built a few more raised beds for our garden and it was a present time. The peas are 2 inches high, the sweet peas are up . The Tomatoes are reaching. Potatoes are pushing green leaves above the soil. I can see the hairs of green onions coming and cilantro awakening. This year, anything will grow.

Elsewhere people are going through a nightmare landscape of grief and fear. At our age the best we can do is stay at home.

We celebrate our simple gifts, we are thankful, the earth is promising another season. the wildlife are no doubt happy that they can cross the road in peace.