Out Back in Washago

I went for a walk for the first time in months out back this afternoon. The land is still laid waste by the ravages of winter but I've learned over the years not to write off finding beauty because first impressions say there isn't any to be found. As blah and matted down as most of the landscape is, there are surprising hits of colour if you open your mind to seeing them. The fiery red branches of the dogwood tree are always a favourite of mine. Even the shallowest pools of water reflect the blue of the sky and mirror the naked but beautiful limbs above them. And if you look hard, you might even see a tiny yellow coltsfoot poking out of all the dead looking grasses. The tiny nest left behind by a song sparrow didn't even have a hint of vibrant colour to it but it stood out as lovely none the less.

Over the next few weeks, a transformation will happen back there. The grasses will grow tall in every shade of green imaginable and wildflowers in gentle and bright shades will appear. The tiny frogs that are now singing their little heads off will leave behind thousands of tiny tadpoles and I suspect the mallard ducks will find their way back to the shallows where I love to sit and muse. Life will come back to that dead looking landscape and I will feel privileged to see it happen. Each day will bring new surprises and I hope to never tire of finding them.