Bluebird - a Rare Visitor

Spring Arrival

   The official beginning of Spring is really just a few days away - but we are still recovering from blizzards and ice and snow! Really only now has the bay begun to thaw and towers of snow still cling to the landscape. Thankfully the bitter cold temperatures here have moderated and brings some relief.

   And yet the birds have already started their Spring songs here and there - twittering and coming alive. According to the internet the hummingbirds are already making their way north - although I have never been lucky enough to see one here. And yet my friend who lives about 4 miles north and on the edge of a wildlife preserve has had some hummingbirds come through. I did see a hummingbird last year but that was in the Catskills. I was making breakfast and looking out the window at the flowers and saw what I thought was a giant bumblebee. Upon a closer look saw that it was indeed a hummingbird hovering over the bright red flowers - their favorite. I went to get my camera but by the time I came back it was gone. And it was also my birthday so I considered that my gift!

   Unfortunately the plant life seems to have suffered greatly this winter. The hardy Mediterranean heather is barely blooming when it is usually full of bright pink bells even with snow on the ground. The vinca groundcover is completely crushed along the path to the back yard. The winter jasmine is not blooming and hanging by a thread. The andromeda tree out front looks like its leaves are burnt. But with Spring arriving things may rejuvenate and new growth should occur - even if in small.

   I've seen the rabbits occasionally - they are hiding in their burrow. The feral cat who thinks he owns the place still comes and sleeps under the cover of my lean to protection to keep snow and ice off the in spout for the oil delivery. He lies in the warm sunlight on my front stoop or in the driveway until a human arrives and then he runs. 

   As for us humans well Spring signals a natural flushing out of toxins accumulated over the Winter. So it is a time to shed and clean out, introducing more fruits and vegetables and less heavy foods like soups and stews. Everyone has their own cleansing routines - just make sure to do them. And also time to shed those winter pounds that have accumulated in the colder months.

   I've already started walking again - getting that sunshine when it's there and getting moving. Soon it will be time for yard work and just being outdoors.

   In about a month the trees will start to bloom - followed by flowers.

   Well we've all made it through a difficult Winter so let's rejoice in the fresh new start of Spring!

Be well,

Maery