Misty March Morning
We wake to fog…
A certain mist that covers
every tree and bush.
We wait for it to lift
as sunlight slowly filters in.
These misty mornings
so full of promise…
Beyond the veil
new beginnings
for us all.
The whisper of spring
has come, so soft,
like the morning fog.
It comes in drifts
of rain and misty dreams.
We cling to the sunlight,
hoping, waiting, believing.
It is there in the birds that flutter
so close to the veil, or do they fly right
through it?
They soar, these winged creatures
so, so, high, in the pewter sky.
I love to watch them; I remember
the sky is wide-open.
The dreams, they hover
in the misty places, just waiting
to break free, dancing in the
margins of a brand-new day.
Spring Refresh
It began to feel as though winter would never end this year! Ice and snow, snow and ice, and then a sprinkle more of sleet!
How wonderful to celebrate the arrival of spring with nature’s showcase of wonders. The daffodils did make their debut amidst the snow! I am always impressed with the daffodils. The ice may be clinging to the trees, but the daffodils are unstoppable. They miraculously survive the worst possible conditions each and every year.
Our town of Gloucester, Virginia, is known as the ‘Daffodil Capital of America.’ Due to the sandy soil, daffodils thrive beautifully here. You can see them everywhere, along roadsides, in fields growing randomly, and of course, in gardens. This year, Gloucester will celebrate the fortieth annual Daffodil Festival.
In the mid-1600s, early settlers to Gloucester brought daffodils to this area. They flourished so successfully that daffodils became a big business. In fact, in the 1930s and 1940s, daffodils became a major industry. Farmers shipped their lovely yellow blooms to northern cities via steamboat.
When the daffodils begin to bloom, I always catch a case of ‘spring fever’. Suddenly, I am spring cleaning indoors and working arduously in the yard outdoors. Our Corgi, Daisy, is happy to spend the day outside watching us work. She curls up in our tree garden and basks in the sunshine.
This past week, we had unseasonably warm weather. I knew it would not last, and my husband and I certainly made the most of it. Today, the temperature is dropping quickly and tonight, once again, they are calling for snow flurries.
It is wonderful to be in the garden in the early spring. Everything is starting to change. Little green shoots rise up out of the earth, and the bees begin to get very busy!
This week, I planted white perennial Candytuft, colorful pansies, and many little snapdragons. It is raining today and all these new plants are getting plenty of water. We actually had a thunderstorm this morning!
I have been raking out a trail in our back woods where the grandchildren can play. I absolutely love the woods this time of year. There is a ground cover that grows along the edge of the woods, and it has invaded the woods itself. This ground cover has little purple flowers that grow throughout the wooded area. There are also ancient ferns that grow quite large as the woods is undisturbed. I like to look for jack in the pulpits out there as well. I don’t pick them. I just like to look at them.
It is so very quiet, and so very beautiful in the woods with this green carpet. All you can hear is the occasional sound of a bird fluttering from tree to tree, or our dog, Daisy, when she has had enough of outside play. Yesterday, I heard the owls, but I did not see them. They come and go in our back woods and I do love to listen to them. It was late in the day when I heard them. Most often, I hear them in the evenings.
Spring is surely full of little miracles. It is still only early spring, and not officially spring until the twentieth of March, but it is amazing how each springtime wonder suddenly appears. (As I write this, it has started to snow!) Springtime weather is unpredictable!
Perhaps, part of the wonder of spring is the change we see within ourselves. Our hearts are gardens that gather many things. It can be a very beautiful garden, full of love, full of life. It is a garden that flourishes with great care. If we get too distracted and we don’t pay attention, the heart withers, and it is a sad place. Of course, there are always sad moments, and that is to be expected. But overall, a ‘happy heart’ welcomes joy just as springtime welcomes the warmth of the sun.
It is mid-March, a season of renewal. And after a long winter, we are ready for a spring refresh. We nurture our gardens and plant our seeds. Within our hearts, God does His work of renewal, planting seeds of love and flooding our souls with His abundant life-giving light.
It is almost Easter, and for those of us who are Easter people, this is a Holy time. We live our faith each and every day of the year, but Lent is a time for deeply searching our hearts. We want to be our very best selves, and we come before God asking for forgiveness and renewal. Only He, can bring true ‘springtime’ to our hearts.
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
Thank you for the treat of daffodils. Ours didn’t thrive so I’m especially enjoying yours.
I am sorry about your daffodils! They are such a cheerful reminder that Spring is on its way. (Something else in your yard will probably do magnificently this year!) Nature is full of surprises!
So beautiful! There is so much sunshine in this post. Anyone experiencing a prolonged winter can rise to joy by reading this post. Thank you also for the flower history of your town. What a beautiful piece of history.
My spring garden made it through yesterday’s snow. My Snap dragons are blooming beautifully this morning. The weather has been crazy! We went from 70 degrees yesterday morning with a thunderstorm to 33 degrees at four o’clock and snow!!! I am so ready for sunshine! 🙂
I bet you’re also ready for less drastic weather changes😅
Oh, yes! Very ready! 🙂
I enjoyed your verse and your beautiful pics, Linda. Your flowers look really happy!☀️
Thank you! I am so glad my flowers made it through the snow showers!
I too love daffodils. Our neighbor’s flowers come up first–their yard gets more sun. Then, jst as theirs begin to wane, ours begin to open. It’s delightful to enjoy their cheerfulness twice as long! I’m anxious to plant pansies in our deck planter, adding some color to the scene out our windows. But when I saw that our temps are supposed to dip into the teens tomorrow morning, I decided to wait a few more days! / Praise God that, “Within our hearts, God does His work of renewal, planting seeds of love and flooding our souls with His abundant life-giving light.” AMEN, Linda!
You and your neighbor did your planting just right!!! The daffodils spark so much joy! It is a season of renewal! I hope you enjoy each and every springtime wonder. We are so blessed by God’s extravagant provision in our lives. The One who gave His only Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, also gave us daffodils in the spring!
Again–AMEN, my friend!
Your daffodils are glorious. I didn’t know about your festival. I hope you didn’t get storm damage yesterday. As you saw, our daffodils are just starting to come up–the ones sheltered by the house that get morning sun. I love them, and soon we will have more in bloom. I’m hoping for more whispers of spring soon.
We did lose some daffodils in the cold blast! Thankfully, we had little storm damage with the exception of one tree that took a hit. I thank God the storm was not as brutal as it was predicted to be. I hope you enjoy your daffodils, and I will enjoy seeing your beautiful photos of them!!! 🙂
I have always been amazed at the brilliance of the colors when the sun hits them. Happy 🌼.
So true! Happy spring to you as well! 🙂
Lovely, absolutely lovely.
Thank you! I hope your spring is off to a good start!
Linda, your post serves as an anthology to the treasured gifts of spring. Your delightful poem and reflective narrative warm each reader’s hearts. Your photographs offer a fresh testament to spring’s rebirth. Peace be with you and your family.
Thank you for your very thoughtful comment! 🙂 Spring is surely upon us! Wishing you and your family peace and blessings in this beautiful season!