Spring Song

Trillium

On an early spring evening we decided to go for a walk in my favourite forest, Grant's Woods.  The forest floor was covered in trilliums.  Only a few had their blossoms opened.  Most had their blossoms closed tightly by the three green sepals.  Only a hint of white gave a clue about what was about to be revealed.  I wondered if they would all open at once, when it got warm enough.

May apple emerges in forest

May apples emerged from the earth like closed umbrellas that opened once they achieved the height needed for the large leaf to open up.  Blue cohosh had already shot up to several feet and were now opening their tiny yellow flowers.  Wild leeks and wild garlic grew in abundant patches throughout the forest. 

Wild ginger

Wild ginger had burst through the soil and opened it’s heart shaped leaves as well.  It was like welcoming old friends back again as we pointed them out to each other. We greeted them as if at a party recognizing people we knew.

Last year's dead brown leaves of the mixed forest of maples, red oaks, beeches, ash, white pine, cedar, and birch where moved aside and covered up by the new green emerging life.  After a long winter, the sight of these rejuvenated me.  For supper we had had wild leeks and fiddleheads and I imagined their new spring energy coursing through me.

Marsh Marigold

In the marshy areas, marsh marigold flowers were vibrant yellow setting off their rich green foliage magnificently.  They made me feel as if the marsh was smiling brightly at us.  Green cattail leaves were shooting straight out of the water as if trying to reach the sky as other water plants emerged from the depths.  But it was getting dark now.

As we made our way to the parking lot, the sun began to set with beautiful oranges and reds streaking across the sky.  The still leafless trees were intricately silhouetted by the coloured light behind them and we stopped to breath it all it.

Sunset over Georgian Bay

We drove west on our way home, into the full spectacle of the changing sunset.  Large pools of water in the fields mirrored the light show and set the dark fields on fire.  We drove without speaking, just taking in all the glory of each moment.  When we arrived home, we could see the sun still setting over Georgian Bay so we drove past the driveway and down to the lake to watch the end of the show over the water.  Now  it was pale oranges and grey clouds, dark water splashing in waves onto the beach.  We watched nighttime arrive peaceful and calm and then headed back up the hill to the house and the warmth of the fire.

Our eyes and hearts were full and we were grateful for the beauty that had greeted and surrounded us from the earth, the water, the fire in the sky and All Our Relations.