Ok, the afternoon started out innocently enough. I really was just heading outside to sit on my lounge chair and immerse myself in a book I've been wanting to finish. It's not the worst book I've ever read but certainly not a page turner by any means. I'm only 50 pages from getting it done and I thought the warm sunshine along with the crisp breeze of a sunny spring day would entice me to finish it. I did start reading. I actually got about 4 pages read before I couldn't help myself, I began looking around.
There is something about early spring clean-up that just begs for you to attack it on a glorious day. I admit that I no longer have the strength, stamina or even the very breath to do what I used to but I couldn't just sit there and do "nothing" like I planned. So, despite knowing better when I've sick all week, I decided at least I could "tame the jungle" (aka mowing the lawn) for the first time this year. There is something about the smell of freshly mowed onions that just screams spring. Yep, you read correct - freshly mowed onions, not grass. At least now I'm no longer surprised when this happens nor think I've lost my mind.
We have about an acre and a quarter of land that is ours, but half of it is wooded. All in all it takes about an hour to mow and quite frankly, it's a "chore" I really enjoy. There is something about the drone of the tractor engine, the smell of the aforementioned onions, the fresh air, the sound of crickets, the mounds of ant hills emerging from the ground, the toads hopping for their lives as the tractor approaches, that just makes you glad to be alive. I must say I have mastered this task. No longer breaking windows or running over things that can tangled in the blades. Since it rained a good deal this week, I didn't need to worry about closing the windows before churning up the dust and dirt. No flat tires on the tractor. No belts coming loose because I took a turn a bit too tight. No bruised knees from holding on to the tractortoo tightly wtih my legs for fear of falling off. I have improved. I got it done in record time and went back to my lounge chair and book.
As I sat there with the goal of really finisihing the book this time, I began to once again look around. I knew better than to look at the weeds poking up from the front landscaping - they can wait. I looked up to the sky to see a hawk fly overhead and smiled as I watched it soar and dive. I heard the distinct sound of the mockingbirds that have shared our property for the past couple of years. I heard a dog bark in the distance and heard the crack of gun go off as some hunter tried to shoot his prey. My nose met with the smell of burning of leaves and wood from others who were clearing their properties of the fallen branches and stuff that the winter leaves behind.
Ok, enough of that... I have to finish this book. I started once more to at least finish the chapter, if not the rest of the book, when movement caught my attention from the left. I looked over expecting to see Duke, our neighborhood Great Dane, but instead my eyes beheld the vision of a half dozen deer come scampering across our yard towards the wooded area across the street. Not an unusual sight by any means, we have deer come by all the time, but not usually when we're out there and certainly not less than 15 yards away. They were absolutely beautiful with their graceful strength. I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear as I saw the last of their little white tails disappear into the woods. I wished I'd have had my camera at the ready but I knew that even if I had it out there with me, I would have missed the whole moment because it was over in an instant.
I put the book down. It wasn't going to get read anymore this afternoon. Instead I just sat there and just really absorbed all that was going on around me. I embraced every sensory experience that I could and I let every muscle in my achy body just relax. And I thanked God for another day, for another breath, for another chance to experience a lovely spring day. We've lived a lot of places over the years and I've met many a spring but I have to say there is something incredibly peaceful and powerful about Tennessee in the springtime. It's not just the promise of things to come or the freshness of new beginnings, it's something more. Something almost intangiable and yet right there. Hard to explain but wonderful to experience.
I'm glad the Bradford Pear trees are giving up the last of their white spring flowers because that means the stinky fish smell that accompanies them will wane as well. It's awesome to see the bright colors of the buttercups and tulips and various other flowers as they poke through the ground in all their glory. I love watching the naked branches begin to bud with their little green nubs of future leaves to remind us of the circle of life. I'm glad it's spring and I look forward to many more beautiful days finally finsihing that book - someday.
No comments:
Post a Comment