Mother Opened The Door

Mother Opened The Door
By John R. Greenwood

Mother opened the door and let me back in the house today. I felt like she'd abandoned me. I know she has a job to do. She can't kowtow to every special request for a sunny Fourth Of July or snowy Christmas Eve. She doesn't work on commission or by the hour--she operates on mother's instinct. Just when we think she going to go soft on us she shifts gears and hits us with an Arctic winter. No amount of planning can out guess the queen of deception. 

I'd almost given up hope of ever seeing that snow pile disappear from the foundation of the house. But, maybe out of pity, or maybe lack of refrigeration the old girl let the sun come out to play with us and turned everyone's cold frown upside down. Maybe she did do it on purpose? We get spoiled easily and have a tendency to take our mothers for granted. This might have been a subtle way of reminding us how much of an impact a mother can have on us. 

I am certain of one thing; how much I needed a leaf rake in my hand instead of a snow shovel. Oh, it won't take long for us to start complaining about high humidity and tall grass, but personally, I will tread lightly. 

I felt so much better today. I saw moving water instead of frozen water. Birds were singing instead of stuffing their beaks with sunflower seeds. Squirrels had a chance to chat with each other about Jordan Spieth winning the Masters instead of worrying about filling the pantry with acorns. I could hear the little boys across the street pretending to be superheroes instead of cringing to the sound of a behemoth snowplow scraping the blacktop and sending slush flying into the side of my mailbox. 

It was a good day, a spring Sunday brimming with optimism and a light wind of better temps ahead. 

Maybe better times too? 

Two Hours Early

Two Hours Early

By John R. Greenwood

Two hours early made all the difference. Today wasn’t about two roads diverging and having to choose one. Today it was about timing. Today I chose to be two hours early and that made all the difference. 

I was feeling nature deficient. My spirit was weak. I felt fresh air and autumn leaf deprived. My ears needed to hear the sound of early morning water lapping against a wood draped shore. I shut off my alarm, packed my freshly charged camera, grabbed a small pad and pen and headed for nearby Moreau Lake State Park. I parked in the lot just inside the main gate. It’s mid September and at 5:45am it was still midnight dark. I grabbed my pack and headed down the access road to the beach. My hope was to be there before the sun came up. Off I went. 

Pre-dawn sounds rustled in the dark thickness along the roads edge.They soothed me like a fountain with some magic power. A moon, two days past full, hung on for dear life and filled the morning with gasping light leftovers. After a short walk I arrived at the beach and stood at the edge of the shore. With a slight tilt of my head I heard a sound I hadn’t heard in many years, maybe decades. It came from atop the ridge above. A wise owl sang a song for me. The melody softened my heart like a newborn listening to his mother’s whispered song. I stood there stump-still and savored each note hoo’ed from above. Fish splashed in the shadows, just out of sight, teasing me like playful children peaking around corners, giggling as they disappear before my squinting eyes can catch their joy. Visions drift by, of a lonely fishing pole parked on the back wall of the garage. Hopes of catching that last September trout will taunt him till spring. 

This is the world we need to share. Peace and quiet, always such a cute couple, yet seldom do we see them walking hand-in-hand anymore. 

I sat on a damp picnic table near the water’s edge and weaved myself into the sand and sky. I was invisible to myself yet tall unto the world. I was two hours early on that September morning, and that made all the difference. 

Spring Fervor

Spring Fervor
By John R. Greenwood

Happiness is quenching 'Spring Fervor'.

Spring brings out a sense of renewal. It dwarfs New Year's resolutions by a mile. Today a spring fervor grabbed me by the hiking boot straps, pulled me up out of bed, and tossed my pathetic fanny out the back door. I, like most people, have been putting off the inevitable weight loss commitment since January 2nd. It's far too easy to make excuses during the drab and dreary months of February and March. Today was a beauty and April fresh breezes were calling. I needed to step in some mud and tilt my head skyward. My spring fervor was cranked. My camera was charged. My son Kevin was willing. More importantly, I needed blog material. Off we headed to Moreau Lake State Park. 

This park possesses everything you could possibility need in a park. From hiking to family camping and all things outdoors, this gem has them. We decided to try a new trail. It looked straight forward (upward) on the map. We agreed to give it a shot and if it was more than we bargained for we would simply do a U'y and head back down the mountain. We told our wives we would only be gone for a couple of hours. 

"Go on ahead kid, I'll be there in an hour."

Well as we crawled the last
hundred feet to the top (we thought) we got that Lewis and Clark urge to continue on. We figured we had gotten this far, it would be crazy not to go a wee bit further to the place on the map where they place a big star indicating a view of breath taking proportions. 

Spier Falls Dam 

We trekked onward. In the next half mile we crossed paths with five women, three dogs, and one man, all of whom appeared as though they had just gotten out of their vehicles. One of the dogs was jumping around like he had just been let out the back door. I was about three seconds from needing an air lift. 

We arrived at our destination feeling satisfied with our first spring jaunt. My legs were a little shaky and my heart was pounding like a jackhammer but my spring fervor was quenched and thoughts of the upcoming work week were much more palatable. 

The hike down melted away the pain and discomfort. The camera enjoyed a good meal and was eager to share its bounty. My new hiking shoes were singing a song, and life was looking a spring hike better thanks to Moreau Lake State Park and the Spier Falls Dam. 

"Time Out!"

Fervor is described as an intense and passionate feeling. I think today hit the mark. 
I felt spring fervor was a better description of my state of mind than spring fever until I pulled up the definition of fever; an abnormally high body temperature, usually accompanied by shivering, headache, and in severe instances, delirium. 

As I thought about it, maybe fever would have been a better choice?