Stay-At-Home order in effect for many states, including Ohio, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Stay-At-Home comes with mixed feelings for us…we welcome any reason to stay-at-home, but are heartsick over the reasons for this particular opportunity. The ups and downs of anxiety, worry, newfound freedom of time on our hands, concern for those who can’t stay at home, and enjoyment of being together and being outside all mix to create an unsettled sense. Not being able to visit family and friends brings a feeling of isolation. Being isolated on a country road brings a feeling of peace. Feeling peace brings reminders of the gratitude that we need to have for being privileged to have a comfortable well-stocked home free of the worries that so many are dealing with today. A feeling of gratitude for our togetherness which is thankfully very peaceful.
Spring does not know that there are unusual and unprecedented orders in place. Spring is living up to its name by springing forth many picturesque wildflowers, sprouts, perennials, and animals awakening from their wintertime survival modes to their springtime hormonal modes. The woodland birds and song birds are changing daily; they’ve been singing spring songs for a few weeks at dusk and dawn, now they are sporting bright, fresh springtime plumage just ahead of the budding of the trees. The squirrels and chipmunks are becoming increasingly active and even their colors look cleaner and brighter as they shed their dull winter coats for fresh new fur. One distant neighbor’s new burro brays an odd call while the wind chimes of another can be heard across the field in the mornings. Our path around the sun once again brings us to the point where the sunrise is just north or our road on it’s journey to fully awaken our north facing rooms this summer.