Spring

Old cement deer in front of the barn.

It’s been a busy spring. We are renovating our little apartment so that we can rent it out to long or short-term visitors, and I’ve been trying to beat back the various invasive species of plants that are trying to colonize everywhere. I’ve done battle with bittersweet, feeling valiant as I dig it up by the roots (easier to do, by far, before it has leafed out), endured the stinging pricks of multiflora rose and wild black raspberry, and acquired a couple of rashes from the poison ivy. Maybe it’s a sign of contracting horizons or badly skewed perspective on my part, but I feel kind of like a knight in shining armor doing battle with the dragons.

Spring time phlox in front of the screened-in porch

But spring is so wonderful! The greens are so various, and the smells and sounds are sweet. The light is dappled and the change is daily.  In the spring you can do things and really feel as if you have made a difference,  as if you really can vanquish the untamed forces of nature. As explosive as all the growth is, there are still patches of earth to be seen between the plants and the perennials and shrubs seem to give way with some degree of grace. It’s easy to forget that they will rush back  in July, when the heat and humidity make it too oppressive to want to do anything but drink ice tea on the screened-in porch, getting their revenge through runners, sprouts, and seedlings that have suddenly taken on the aspect of small trees.

Bluebells and Violets in the Woods