Dec/Jan 2023 newsletter by kathy smith

Signs of Spring

Which ones have you seen lately? 

My first harbingers of spring are usually the birds. On February 12, I saw and heard my first red-wing blackbirds. These songbirds are so apparent with their call (“come-for-tea”) and bright red wings. They usually arrive in a flock so it’s hard to miss them. 

The most important factor in noticing them is to be out in nature. Got a bird feeder? They’ll arrive there. Live near water? Blackbirds or other newly-arriving flocks can be found in a tree overlooking a stream, river, or lake. 

Call to them. Repeat their song and they’ll respond to you. I love doing this as I walk past a tree that they’re sitting in. I feel as though we’re friends. 

Another sign I noticed is magpies with twigs or grasses in their beaks. I don’t see where they’re landing and yet I know there will be squawking in a few months from babies demanding (in no uncertain terms) food. 

We had a nest in my next-door neighbor’s tree two years ago and I ha...

We all play a major role in creating sustainable habitats for plants and animals. As the world opens up again, find sanctuaries to breathe and hold natural, sacred space. 

June is a magical month for flowers. Did you ever, as a young person, stand next to a peony bush and watch the ants work their magic on a peony bud? The buds are a food source for the ants and the peony is protected from other sap-feeding insects. This is a form of mutualism in nature. 

When the peony blooms, the scent draws one in. Each petal is a velvety layer of beauty, ever-expanding until an early summer rain causes the flower heads to droop, thus ending their magnificent, annual display. 

Don’t delay. Watch nature’s fashion show through the summer. Driving around town, I just noticed my first roses blooming in various gardens. The new color appears, seemingly out of nowhere. Bees gather the rose nectar and pollen. 

Pay attention as the floral world regales us with its beauty. Cut a flower and bri...