4.25.2008

green progress, small scale

I don't think I've ever been so happy to see spring. This winter was just ridiculous, even for a winter-loving person like me.

I've been obsessively watching the trees in our neighbourhood for signs of leaves. The dogwoods are already in bloom, and now our little pear tree and forsythias are budding. The trees that line the sidewalk - I don't know what they are! - are still bare.

Most days, we can leave the back door open and the dogs can trot in and out at will. In the warmest part of the day, Tala likes to lie on the little concrete patio and survey her kingdom. Cody lies in the hot sun until she's cooked, then over to the shade to cool off a bit, then back to the sunbathing.

I like to sit in the backyard and listen to the birdsong, watch the birds skitter around. A big fat robin is working on a nest in the pear tree. It's just a small tree, and seems like an insecure spot for a nest. Yet the foundation of it survived the winter, so the bird must know what its doing.

Compared to my former urban life, sometimes I feel like I live out in the country. That's ridiculous, since this is the heart of suburban sprawl. But having a backyard, being outdoors a lot more, I am so much more aware of the change of seasons than I was in New York. In the city, I saw the overall change: oh look, it's spring now. Now I see the gradual changes over days and even hours. I'm really enjoying it.

In keeping with my goal of going hiking more often, this Monday we'll take our first spring hike. I'm aiming for once a month, a modest goal that would be a sizable increase over what we did last year. Hiking was a big incentive for me to deal with my foot pain. This will be a big test of my new orthotics.

I'd also like to try several different places for these little hikes. This week I'm thinking Elora Gorge.

No comments: