Monday, April 27, 2009

Late Spring 2009


We're almost there. Today's high was mid-80s. I have the house windows open to the pollen, dust, and noise. I hiked Persimmon Ridge on Sunday and didn't add any birds but I did take some rather nice photos, I thought, of a Flowering Dogwood along the creek near the swimming pool. (The pool at Persimmion Ridge is a great thing. It used to leak--severely. Jonesborough had not done much of an effort to find this out and the amount of water lost--this was a couple of years ago--should have been enough to get a person's attention except it didn't!)

Beyond the pool is a board walk and a few trails up the ridge. Sunday was sunny and you got that up-draft of warm air that's so warm you can smell it. I did find some Crested Dwarf Iris and few Spring beauties along the trail. But, on the whole, the forest is not yet nearly filled in.

When you enter Persimmon Ridge from the highway a good birding spot is right at the front gate. We're blessed with a large cattail swamp and with a little more water I believe you will find it a lively place to visit in the mornings.

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While out running an errand this afternoon, one of my friends commented that the green of the summer hadn't quite made it the top of Buffalo Mountain. With the Naturalist Rally (May 2, 2009) at Roan Mountain State Park we might not see that many birds or wildflowers. But watching the green ascend is really beautiful. Folks around here measure a lot of their life based on this up and progression in the forest. It's something I can see when I drive in to work.

Two weeks ago we birded Wing Deer Park and we stumbled upon a quiet spot: the roadways were out of hearing and sight, no airplanes, no dogs, no talking, light airs. And the various ground covers were poking up through the leaf litter. I thought about how all this has gone on before us, for thousands of Springs, this quiet, relentless, persistent growth of green stuff. I find that humbling. I find it makes all the things we do--we believe--we practice--we know as truth--immaterial.

I'm reading Alan Watts (it's not easy!) and I suspect he would agree but that appreciating the matter of the world is what makes us human and aware.
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