Seed head ready to cast the seeds of its blossoming to the winds of chance.

It was hard leaving my family after spending time with them again. After one of my visits it always leaves me wondering whether I should change the situation. I think about people whose family has moved to the opposite side of the planet. Who are separated for years at a time. Yes, we can keep in touch with phone calls, email, webcams and videos, but there is nothing quite the same as a face to face conversation and a good warm hug from someone you love. I think about people of two generations ago, who left home to sail across the seas to countries that they knew very little about. They had dreams and a few trunks in cargo, and set out on an epic journey to begin a new life.

Some of these travellers built a new life that was good to them, and they were able to visit family in their home country over the years. Others were never heard from again. Mail took months to travel and often never reached the destination - or reached it after the person had moved on. Contact was lost. We are so fortunate at this time to be able to contact people all over the planet in the blink of an eye. We are able to keep informed about events happening thousands of miles away. We are able to find like-minded people to converse with and trade ideas. Not so for the generations before us who were limited to those within their small realm of contact. My Mother recalled having to take the horse and buggy to visit neighbours who were 20 miles away. This was not just a 'drop in for a few minutes for coffee' visit - this would take up a good part of the day, much preparation and time away from work that constantly needed to be done. It was a special occasion and it didn't happen very often. Whereas I think nothing of chatting with the neighbour while I work in the garden, or stop at the fence to talk while I am out for a stroll, previous generations were not able to unless they lived in well populated areas.

It makes me grateful for the time I am able to spend with friends and family, and I try to make the most of it. Relating to others helps us to understand them. When they do things that we don't expect, if we have taken the time to converse with them in a manner that is more than just idle chit chat, we are often able to see the reason that they may have done this unexpected thing. The more we know about others, the easier it is to have compassion for them in difficult circumstances. Perhaps offer a few words that will help them come to terms with where they are in their life and see the way to a different future. It can also help us see ideas more clearly hearing a differing point of view. After having a discussion with someone recently - pondering the comments made and my feelings about them - I came to an "aha"  moment in regards to my own beliefs on the topic.

So, as much as I love being a bit of a "hermit" in the midst of others and spending much of my time alone to think and work on my art, I realize the importance of connections to others. It gives me the underlying structure in my life as a human. This support does not always take the form of close personal contact, it may be reading the thoughts of others in books, magazines, blog posts, or watching shows on television or video. But I do rely heavily on it to keep that connection to the physical world around me. And for those times when I am in close personal contact, I savour the energy it provides to keep me moving forward.

It reminds me that many animals send their offspring away to stake their claim on new territory, and plants send the seeds of their blossoms off to grow in other hospitable plots of earth.

Signs of warmth. The rocks absorb the sun's warm rays and the snow melts around them first creating some interesting patterns along the river's edge.

The morning was not particularly exciting today as I woke to grey skies and stormy mountain tops, so decided to create my own enjoyment. Went for a walk to see what was changing along the river banks. Not much snow left except in the shady places and the ice has almost gone from the river itself. There are a few patches, but not many. Saw my first marmot of the year venturing forth between the boulders that have been placed to keep the banks from washing away. The marmots love these boulders as it gives them places to hide from predators such as coyotes, and this one quickly let out his sharp whistle and disappeared into his shelter before I could get my camera ready as a dog came in to view.

Several aspen trees were cut down by beaver during the last few weeks to bolster their dams before the high rise of the river when spring melt occurs. There are two dams in the vicinity - on a stretch where the river splits into two courses, they have built on the slower side of the island - one dam at either end. Beaver are interesting little critters, and their migration northward is being studied through google earth with regard to climate change and wetland water management.

There are leaf buds showing on many trees, and the birds are gradually returning to prepare for spring. Robins are everywhere picking bug larvae from the cold ground - stocking up for the nesting season, and I wonder if the same robin will be back this spring nesting in my trees. Sparrows and chickadees are here, thankfully. They keep the majority of weeds out of my yard when they come in swarms to clean up all the tiny seeds that are left lying around after the snow and wind of winter have subsided. I have heard red-winged blackbirds trilling from the shrubs, but no little songbirds yet. Soon I hope.

At this time of year when there is not much activity visible, and definitely no bright colours and blossoms, one has to be really observant of the small stuff to find interesting things.  The difference in colour between new growth branches and old ones; the deep crimson bark of growth on the wild rose bush; the 'slightly cloudy' grey bark of aspen against the dark evergreens; the shiny leaf buds showing growth on certain trees while others are still a dormant brown. I have noticed the lilac shrubs in my garden are bright green with growth and look forward to the time when once again they will fill my yard with the flower perfume on the summer breezes.....but I am getting ahead of myself and dreaming of summer! One season at a time!

But at this shoulder part of the year, it is difficult to stay mindful of only one season. We have had balmy days of spring interspersed with more snow storms and freezing temperatures (more snow predicted for tonight actually). It is a mixture of winter and spring with the promise of summer thrown in now and then. That is why I rake the leaves and set up the patio furniture when the we have a warm spring day, and hunker down indoors cooking a pot of stew when the snow appears again. I feel a tension within me; I am torn between the past and the future, trying to stay mindful of exactly where I am right now. The shoulder season. Neither the person who I have been, nor the person who I will become, but just me as I am here and now - being observant of the small stuff.

Birch and Aspen and a few others have wonderful light grey bark that stands out against the blacks, browns and greens of winter trees. Bark colour is a great way to introduce some visual variety in a winter garden.

Newer growth on some shrubs and trees shows a tremendous colour difference than old growth. This tangled mass of crimson branches happens to be a wild rose bush.

Fireweed blossoms - taken outside of Dawson City, Yukon.

At this time of year one never knows what to plan, or what to wear to do it! One minute it is warm, the next it is snowing. Today is such a day. The morning broke very slowly into the day as the sun shone, then was obscured by cloud, then shone again. It finally was warm enough to go for a pleasurable walk, sauntering along and checking out all the things that are budding out - but mid day as I was raking the left over leaves and cones from the winter, I could feel the wind getting stronger. It was a cold breeze. In the distance the sky was grey and stormy over the mountain tops, and just before I completed the raking it began to snow. First there was very tiny bits, almost like hail, but then the sky opened up into a full-blown snow storm that obscured the mountains. This lasted perhaps half an hour. The ground was again covered in white - but only for an hour or so. Now, once again, the sun is shining, the sky mostly blue, the wind has calmed and the air is warm. So why does this happen every spring? Is it just to make us humans crazy trying to plan a day? Not likely. Mother Nature has a much grander purpose.

Seeds of all kinds are waiting to germinate and grow at this time of year. The energy is biding time waiting to burst forth. But seeds of different plants require different temperatures to germinate and begin their growth cycle. To my way of thinking it would be wonderful if it just gradually warmed up, and there were clear and distinct periods of rain that one could make plans around. But I am not about to tell Mother Nature how to do it and risk the threat of a bolt of lightening coming out of the blue destined directly for me! Nature is much wiser than I and seems to have it all worked out despite my own personal opinion. So spring weather shall continue to be a mixed bag of surprises that we just have to learn to work around and be content with.

Have been doing some searching on the net and found several good sites that explain the effects of temperature on seed germination, and suggestions for which temperatures are best for a variety of seeds (vegetables among them) which help in deciding when to plant your veggie garden. The temperature ranges that they talk about are soil temperatures, not air temperature, which can be quite different. Although, I know some who just wait until the long weekend in May - or Mother's Day or a particular full moon phase to do their planting. And of course, everyone has their own specific reasons to do it at that time that they are certain makes their gardens flourish each year. Myself, I tend to do it whenever it suits me according to the weather. Some years I have planted in February - others, not until May. I still seem to get the vegetables to grow and the flowers to bloom. For me, the biggest obstacle is dealing with the dry summer months and water rationing.

There are also very disparate requirements for seeds from shrubs, trees and wild plants. Some require that they freeze before germination can take place; some wait for forest fire before they grow best. Fireweed is one such plant. It can be grown from seed without the fire, but it grows most luxuriously in the soil conditions after a forest fire has passed through. I expect that it is the soil and the thin dusty ash covering that makes the difference rather than the fire itself as I have had them come up on their own in my yard. The amount of light, moisture, difference between day and night temperature also affect growth. So I guess it is no wonder we get such a gamut of changes at this time of year. I try to be prepared for change, go with the flow, and not make plans that can't be altered at the last moment.

Ooooh -- and dress in layers that can go on or off, carry a raincoat and rubber boots, snow boots, mitts, toque, sunglasses and lotion .............. (just joking!).

Plants are like children…some like summer, some like winter, some like arts and music, others want to rebuild machinery. Thankfully we don't have a house full of new ones to get started each time Spring comes around!

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1996/2-9-1996/seed.html
Iowa University suggestions for germinating seeds to give healthy plants in your garden.

http://www.seedman.com/veggerm.htm
Tables for longevity of storage and germination temperatures for vegetables compiled by Dale T. Lindgren, District Extension Specialist (hort)

Seed pods and sprout - pencil sketch.

Miraculous changes take place in the human body beginning with the first breath. The survival urge is instinctual and usually wins out despite all of our bad habits!

I have a plant in my garden that is technically a weed. There are hundreds of tiny seeds on each stem, and without a major overhaul, I will not get it out of my garden. So rather than fight it, I let it grow. I have found that working with nature is much easier than working against it. Mother Nature is so much smarter than me! This weed serves as a wonderful ground cover in the heat of the summer, and actually keeps most other weeds out of the garden. The other thing that I like about it, is that the chickadees and sparrows love the seeds. This morning it is the chickadees that are there feasting. All fluffed out to combat the -6C temperature, they are little round, black-capped balls of bouncing feathers as they hop around, picking, scratching and singing as the morning sun rises above the mountain tops and glistens off the frosty leaves of the yucca. It is a good start to my day as I sit and watch them.

The garden also shows the beginning shoots of tulips I planted last fall, and tips of the Iris leaves are coming through as well. Once the chance of frost has passed I will clear out the dead brown stems from last year and let the new growth catch all of the sunshine and rain that will come - but for now, I leave them to protect the tender new shoots, and the new roots that are spreading beneath the soil. I enjoy this time of year as I find it fun to investigate the garden to see what is coming up and remind myself where I planted things last year. I know that I should mark everything in a new garden, or draw a plan - but I never seem to do it. I have a general one, but it really should be more detailed. And it should be on paper, not just in my head! But I am human after all, and despite my best intentions, other thing always seem to take priority and it seldom gets done properly. Somehow my garden survives anyway, and I think my Father's oft-stated comment sums it up the best. Whenever Mother used to fuss over a newly planted garden, he would remind her that "plants just want to grow". A simple statement, but very true.

I have recently returned home from being away for a month to four pots of plants indoors that had absolutely no attention paid to them while I was away. One is looking a little neglected, but the others are in rather good condition considering the situation. It won't be many days before they look good again after absorbing a little water and daylight. Plants do want to grow. They persist through some very dire circumstances. They need to be plants that are chosen for their hardiness in the conditions that prevail of course. Like any other living thing, they need certain amounts of sunshine and water and nutrients - but provided you are not trying to grow jungle plants in an arid environment, they will do their best to survive and put on a show for you.

Human beings will survive some very dire circumstances as well. Like all other living things, we are "programmed" when we arrive on this planet, to grow - to move through the stages of growth on a progressive basis. Just one glance at a photo of starving people in countries where there is war, drought or famine diminishing food supplies and one is in awe of how determined the human body can be to grow and stay alive even when it gets little water, nourishment or encouragement. An acquaintance was lost for 90 days in the Territories one winter many years ago and survived to tell the tale. It leaves me awe struck sometimes when I get a glimpse of how strong that urge is in all living things. I do not think it is a fear of death, but an in-born stimulus for life. The first breath of an infant sets in to motion a number of miraculous changes within the body that occur despite the fact that the infant is totally helpless. Lungs fill with air, blood surges in, the heart and circulatory system goes through major changes, and you must begin to deal with gravity. It all takes place without conscious effort.

Life truly is miraculous.

Brand new baby welcomed to the world!

I feel I must apologize for my lack of posting on this blog over the last few weeks. It was just so much more fun sitting and staring at a brand new human being! Noticing the differences in alertness and attentiveness as the days went past - watching the expressions on his face as he worked the bubbles through his system - listening to the tiny sounds he would make as he tested out his vocal cords (and of course the louder ones made as his diaper was changed!). Watching him check out his fingers and attempt to direct them to his mouth was just so much more fun than thinking and posting, that I just couldn't resist...couldn't tear myself away! I soaked it all up because it will be a while before I see them again, and I will miss so much of their growth - miss all those moments of learning and understanding as they continue to get bigger. I have 5 grandchildren now, all at different stages of growth, and find the differences and similarities fascinating.

Brand new human beings are a marvellous feat. It never ceases to amaze me that we have survived over the centuries as a species as we are born so helpless and tiny. Many animals are born onto the ground and encouraged to get up and run right away. This is for their own safety of course, and humans do not have to worry about immediately running away from predators stalking them, but the difference is shocking to me frankly. There are so many parents that are totally unequipped to understand the physiological changes as a new human moves from the womb to the harsh reality of life on this planet, and supply the love, nourishment and understanding that is needed. And yet we survive. Some survive almost unimaginable challenges in their growth into adults, but the key word is 'survive', because survive we do! Somehow we overcome the challenges and dangers and continue to grow and new generations are born to carry on.

This is a wonderful time of the year for me. I have just spent a month with my family that I have been missing tremendously, and it is spring time. Everything is being born and starting fresh. I can spend another year watching the changes and marvelling at the world around me.

New tulips poking through the ground. Spring is soon to arrive and everything will be bursting with growth!

Charcoal, pen and ink, collage.

" A tree's only goal is to grow. It doesn't matter how tall or straight, it just grows its best in response to its surroundings. There is always a need for it, however it turns out.

It gives shade or shelter, recycles the air, becomes home and food for all types of creatures.

We should keep this in perspective for our own lives and the lives of those around us. No matter where or how we grow, there is a purpose for all of us."

With the birth of a brand new member of our family, it makes me think of the differences and similarities between how plants and animals grow and develop and how humans grow and develop. We are all energy forms of one kind or another - we all require sustenance for growth and have our cycles of life. But humans seem to have so many interwoven threads that influence how they develop, and they can be positive influences or negative influences. It is all in how we react to the influences that determines the eventual outcome ... but what determines how we react? Most of us know people who were brought up in the same household, but have grown up very differently. They were influenced by the same adult attitudes and values, but reacted to them differently. Is it in our DNA? Is it a result of our chemical makeup, perhaps influenced by the foods we eat? Is it strictly a matter of chosen mental attitude? It is a question that has been pondered from many directions, and one that puzzles us still. There have been many suggested answers, but none that give us all the keys.

Human life is a miracle to me. It brings many questions. But in the mean time, I intend to enjoy every moment I have around this new little bundle of joy.

A calm day on Skaha Lake.

There is a brand new baby in the family!

I have talked a lot lately about patience and waiting and what to do while waiting. Talked about planning and visualizing and making preparations - and the fact that there is often some time between completion of all the preparations and the actual arrival in our lives of what it is we are waiting for.

Well, this little fella' is what we were patiently waiting for. A brand new baby boy in the family! Babies are miracles of life. They grow and develop in a very complicated process into adult humans. In the process there are many intertwined influences that make them in to who they will become. But in the beginning, they are just pure joy and love with a need to be taken care of, and loved in return. It is the perfect opportunity to practice unconditional love. We know that there are certain things we have to take care of - things we are responsible for - like feeding and changing and keeping them warm and healthy. But past the physical caretaking - all we have to do with them is love them. And that love comes without trying. We hold a new life in our arms, and the love flows as we watch them peeking out into a new world, investigating their surroundings and the people who have come to celebrate their arrival.

So he is the reason that my posts have been a little slim lately, because I have wanted to spend as much time as possible with my daughter and her family. We have been running around buying a baby swing and last minute clothing and blankets and having fun poking around baby and mom stores. Now that he has arrived, we are taking turns sleeping and comforting babe. He is beginning to feel more comfortable in this world - checking out his own ears and fingers and fists - opening his eyes more frequently and for longer periods - studying everything around him. I don't think there will be too many more babies that come in to this family for a while, so I want to soak it all up as much as I can, while the opportunity is here. They stay  little for such a very short time. Each stage of development is filled with miracles in my eyes - and I like to absorb it all. After we have a routine set here, I will be off to my son's house to spend time with his family - and then home once again. So the posts will likely be short ones for a while yet. Just know that I am enjoying the good things in life, and will make up for the posting "slackness" later!

Garden tools covered in snow remind me that spring will return once again. They patiently wait by a garden wall for warm weather, green grass and some attention from me.

Reminders of summer days, scattered about the yard. A lawn chair here and there, a table or two for resting a glass of cool refreshment to quench a dusty, parched throat on a hot day. A garden shovel, flat blade, to cut the edges just so. A lawn rake to gather freshly mowed grass for the compost, or fall's leaves as the trees begin their winter rest. I do not like to pack them all away, even though I know it extends their use for several years. They are friends of mine. I like them out where I can see them, gathering character in the weather. Just as time ages me, they age too. They become familiar old friends. They bring reminders that the cold stark days of winter chilling your soul, will once again turn to the promising warmth of a fresh spring, and a long, hot, dry summer.

Mother Nature has been teasing us about spring lately. We have had two weeks of bright sunny days and warmer weather, and we had begun doffing our parkas and boots for lighter jackets and sneakers. Now we have more snow again. Not much, and the weather is reasonably mild, but the fresh snow is there, and the brisk breezes that blow up across the prairies are frosty. Just a reminder that although spring is coming, it is not yet here. The snow tonight is dry. Softly falling lightweight flakes that sparkle in the street lights like diamonds falling from the sky cover everything. The dirty brown edges of melted snow mixed with melting earth are once again sparkling white. The world is fresh and clean. I really should have known better than to get too complacent about the cold weather because even the wild rabbits are still mostly white - they haven't started changing colour yet. But I had my hopes up.

It is at times like this that I need to be able to look outdoors and see something besides icicles hanging from the eaves, snow shovels, and the bucket of salt for the icy patches. I need reminders that there is an ongoing cycle at work here, and I must have patience and faith in the fact that the warm days will once again arrive, bringing with them new growth and blossoms.

White rabbit - resting and preening on a sunny day.

The snowflakes were sparkling like diamonds in the light as they softly drifted down from above.

Snail on leaves.

I think that for most people, this is a good time of year for going through things that they have accumulated over the years, and tossing what is superfluous. Or, at least we consider it - no guarantee that it will actually get done. Not just because it is nice to think of starting a new year with a clean house, but also, when the weather is cold and I don't feel like going out but can't just sit and relax, it always seems to occur to me to clean house! So I pick a drawer or a closet or a box (!) and start rooting through it. To start with, the fact that it might be sitting in a box should be a clue that I don't have room for it to begin with, but that never seems to enter into the decision making process somehow.

I started with a drawer one day and when I was done with it, I had to sit and laugh my head off at what I had unearthed! There were items that had been passed on from friends and family that they had bought but never worn - there were things that I had bought and never worn.

Then there is the cupboard that held things that had been bought, but never actually worked right, or worked for about 5 minutes and then broke! Do you have cupboards or drawers with things in like that? Is it in our nature to think we have to fix stuff if it breaks? And considering what is in our nature ........ what the heck were these people thinking that produced the crap that just wasn't workable at all? Our garbage dumps are full ..... what are we going to do with these things? Which makes me think of a bird that was here last spring.

Now, I know, my brain works in strange and wonderful ways. It seems totally off topic, but just give me a minute to follow through here. Outside my kitchen I have a small patio that has a covered roof over it. At the edge there is room between the rafters on the beam big enough for a bird to build a nest. THIS bird, (I never did catch it so I don't know for sure, but think it was a robin) tried in four different slots to build a nest. The first one that went up was an absolutely hopeless bundle of grasses, string, dog hair and threads pulled from someone's plastic tarp. The second one was more grasses and sticks and a little more together than the first, but still hopelessly useless. The third was an improvement, but not livable. By the fourth try he was actually getting the hang of it, and aside from a little carelessness, it actually looked like a robin's nest. I have no idea if he made more attempts before the final roosting place was built up in one of my trees, and I couldn't get at it without disturbing it, so never did get a close look. But the point I make here is that yes, we all need to practice with things. We all need our opportunities to test ideas. But at least the robin used things that will return to the earth (except perhaps for the tarp bits, but that is our fault not his).

I came across a TED video the other day, http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/18  to do with an idea that we should all examine closely. We should take it seriously and ponder it long and hard. Janine Benyus' thoughts are that the natural world does all of its absolutely awe-inspiring things with products that come from nature and return to nature and they do not create 'waste products' that get in the way of natural life on this planet. Nature does great things while at the same time enhancing their life and the lives of other planet inhabitants. Can we humans get smart enough to do the same? I definitely think it is worth trying. Then we could live a good life without destroying the planet in the process.

A placid spot in one of the rivers. Rocks and reflections. River water is ever-changing, ever-moving. Some areas are turbulent- others appear calm and still, but beneath is the ever-present current of change.

I have talked before about patience and perseverance, I have talked about focus and determination, I have talked about waiting. This time I am considering impatience. Working with things you have some control over is a little different than waiting for something that moves on its own time schedule - a universal time schedule. This is a human life. A new life. We can have control over the beginning and the end of a human life - but should we? My personal feeling is that there is a time for everything, and everything in its own time as the saying goes - but not everyone would agree. Some would say we have the abilities with modern sciences to influence the beginning and ending of human life, and because we have them we should use them - others are horrified by the possibilities opened up by this way of thinking. I am not about to say one way or the other which is right or best or moral or immoral. Those are personal decisions that we all make based on our own experiences, influences and beliefs. What I am contemplating this morning is how we deal with situations when we are 'at the mercy of' events that do not move at the speed we expect them to - or would prefer them to.

Focusing on the fact that events are not progressing the way we expected does not help matters. It puts the focus on the fact that we are still in a holding pattern, waiting for something that has not arrived. And I am frequently at fault in this area. In the current situation, everyone wants to know if the baby has arrived (secretly worrying that we have, in the excitement, forgotten to let them know!) and I say, 'No, we are still waiting' - which focuses on the fact that we are still without what it is we are waiting for. It is pointless, really, to keep saying that we expect it to be this day or that, as we really don't know what day it will be. We can hope - we can tell ourselves with enthusiasm that it will come today - we can talk to the baby in the womb and tell it we would like it to make its appearance sooner rather than later -- but it will come when it is ready. So all of the chatter and focused enthusiasm really doesn't make any difference and can leave you focused on that fact if you are not careful with your thoughts.

So we attempt to divert our attention to other matters, to prepare ourselves for the day that the 'intended result' is a part of our life. We live as we expect to live once the waiting is over. In preparation for baby, we have the baby swing set up in a convenient spot, and set up a safe play area to put baby down. We have the crib ready and the baby monitor set up and tested. We have played all the baby music to see what sounds best to our ears. We have watched the video on how to use the baby sling to carry a newborn or even a toddler. We have all the phone numbers handy, and the bags are packed and ready to go.  We have done our best to visualize how life will work once the second child is part of the family, and to take advantage of what 'free' time there is now to relax and rest and prepare. But underlying it all is just plain old impatience.

It is much the same when we are waiting for new developments of any kind in our lives. Some events we can have more influence over than others. Sometimes taking steps in the direction we want to go will speed up the movement of the universe and things fall in to place quite quickly. Other times, we can visualize life as we expect it to be, we can talk about it with others, we can talk positively and enthusiastically about how it will be.  We can take all the steps we know how to take, but things move more slowly than we desire them to, no matter what we do. It is in those times, we just have to have faith in the fact that the time will come - it may not be on our scheduled arrival - but it will arrive in due time. Whether we are patient or impatient doesn't matter. Things will work out the way they are meant to work out in the end. Our outlook and attitude only makes a difference in how we feel during the time we are waiting.