Thursday, April 03, 2008

Textures of Spring

Spring changes everything—again. Even the most familiar of landscapes suddenly looks different and new. Today I am struck by the textures and patterns of the forest. Moss and lichens are suddenly multi-colored. Even rocks that have the same makeup each have their own, slightly different shade. The bark of each different tree has its own feel. Each brown leaf is a different shape.

The differences are all in the nuances. It is into this currently nuanced landscape that spring suddenly appears with its riot of change. Soon greens will dominate and even overtake the browns, and every other color, from red to white to blue will also make a mark. It is a wondrous thing to watch happen, this miracle of spring.

Sometimes, in my excitement to see new migrants or the first forest babies, I ignore the changes to the forest itself. Sometimes, I pay more attention to forest residents than to the forest that is our home. Today, this spring, I’m trying to change that habit. I want to see the forest--and the trees.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hm I was doing that today. Finally had a day where I could take a walk. Slowly Spring is opening up here. I even found a mushroom growing in the wood.

Mel said...

Nice post! It is true, sometimes we overlook the beauty around us :)

Stacey Olson said...

Beautifully written and great photos.

Dana and Daisy said...

Your season is just a couple of weeks behind ours. Spring is on the way!

RuthieJ said...

Isn't is nice to see green, growing things again? Yea for spring!

Larry said...

I had the same thing in mind last weekend-although I was looking at water more than trees but I agree that we are missing out if we don't appreciate trees that have been around for so many years.-Nice post!

Carolyn H said...

Cathy: I haven't seen any mushrooms yet--just the winter fungus for now.

All: I'm glad you all enjoyed the post. Today, I'm outside trying to "enjoy" the grey, overcast and windy weather. Ah, well. It will be different soon enough.

CArolyn H.