Under the Influence

On any given day, we humans may find ourselves rushing physically and mentally, trying to split hours, minutes, and seconds to fit more and more tasks into a day. I am amazed how quickly a full day disappears while in this routine way of being.

House Finch nest atop old wreath hanging outside our front door. (Click to enlarge)Conversely, when I have had the time to be immersed in nature for one full day, or seven, or twenty-one, the days seem to last so much longer. I watch the sun rise, and slowly, leisurely, perfectly, it moves across the sky until at last it sinks below the horizon. Throughout such a day, there is a fantastic amount of activity taking place, though nothing really seems in a hurry. Plants develop quietly while swaying in gentle breezes, while various organic processes happen invisibly within. Some animals move secretly about the landscape, while others stride boldly across the road or soar high overhead.

The energy of spring is upon the landscape, manifesting in such events as bursting buds, blooming flowers, flooding wetlands, unfurling leaves, developing eggs, singing birds, hatching insects, birthing babies, and fidgeting humans. So much progress takes place in nature each day during spring that any day not spent outside observing it can feel like a significant loss to nature lovers and naturalists. Spring is a festival of grand performances delivered concurrently by every living organism under its influence.

A familiar spring event is the unfurling of "fiddleheads" on fern plants. (Click to enlarge)Paper Wasp queen starting a nest. Note egg deposited inside top cell. Soon these eggs will hatch and she'll have lots of help with construction and other nest duties. (Click to enlarge)The photos in today’s blog post represent just a few of the many events in nature that are taking place while we are executing our to-do lists. Let them be a reminder for us to take time daily to observe the wonder and beauty around us as spring progresses.