While Waiting

Not a moment too soon...

  I keep reminding myself that the robins are not early, and spring is not late. In fact, by the calendar, things are progressing just as they ought to go.

Streams started running again two weeks ago - at least for a few days!

  Since moving here seven years ago, I have observed the Illinois is remarkably timely when it comes to seasons. We always have a solid 12-15 weeks of winter after it sinks below 30 degrees in early December; and though this year has been colder and snowier, there is no reason to believe it can't hit 70 later this month. It has done just that before. In fact, every time I turn around another living thing has come out of hiding looking perkier than ever. Moping tendencies be gone! There's things to do and places to go while you wait.

Stashing breakfast, before he takes off stashing everything else he can find for his nest behind my office.

In fact, as we hovered at 30 degrees today and the happy sound of dripping reentered the world intermittently over the last two weeks, I found myself driving a detours to capture some interesting aspects of central Illinois wintry landscape before it disappears.  

Dunlap, IL, March 4

 

Culverts and Corn-rows, Feb 23

About three weeks ago -when we had not come close to thawing in weeks, things looked a little more frigid.

February 11

   There's a square mile of farmland at the end of our road. It's my favorite place to run in warm weather, and still a good walk (or drive) in the winter... a bit of peace and quiet. As I've watched the land go through the cycle of seasons, it actually makes me more patient. 

If you are in too much of a hurry, you miss too much. It is better to take the road more slowly.

The evergreen garland finally came down when we got above 20 degrees  - I could cut it without freezing!

 If you don't throw all the Christmas greens in the trash at New Years, and you keep clipping and unwinding the wires when you want to stop - you have more firewood and kindling, smelling delicious still (though more faintly!). And if you put on more layers, heavier boots and tramp through all the snow, one foot very deliberately in front of the other - you make a new trail and have more fun. Especially if Augie is with you. 

   You see things on the same old walk, but not like you saw them before. You wait for the sun to hit just right...

    Lent comes with tomorrow's snowfall. The seemingly long winter is sort of like patience in tangible form. It is waiting on the little things in life that reminds me of how good it is to wait on the big things. 

Because there is not a moment to lose.