Littering the lawns at this time of the year are the remnants of a cruel winter that did its best to dampen our spirits and ruin our yards. It partially succeeded in both, but after all these years in upstate New York it’s going to take more than a long winter to beat us down completely. We are strong. We are resilient. And we are ready to clean up the mess.
While not the most brutal of winters, this last one has taken its time departing, and it had its fair share of nasty storms and cutting winds, hence a large amount of debris and detritus from the trees. Consider it nature’s way of pruning, dangerously done without regard to what’s below. Andy and I live in vague dread of having another tree-top pierce our roof again, but this winter passed without incident. The ground tells another story.
Large boughs litter the brown yard, while pinecones and acorns and leaves lie in a wet, matted mess. Still, there is life here if one has the patience to cull it. Hidden in a pinecone are the seeds to start a new evergreen. Within the capped acorn is a baby oak tree waiting to find sun, water and soil to crack itself open and reach for the sky. Life is messy sometimes. Messy and wonderful and laced with hope in the bleakest of circumstances.
