A Sign Spring is Around the Corner

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This is for A across the pond.

February and March are interesting months and depending where you live in the US confounding because you’re desperately looking for signs of spring and warmer [read better] days to come.

They fainted!

I remember my first house – seeing the daffodils popping up and thinking Mother Nature paid the bill!  Spring has sprung!  And then…

The next morning I was trying my hand with a snow blower so I could get my car out of the drive and get to work.

Never mind the plow doing the subdivision streets made it so I couldn’t get out of my driveway BLEEP. I just wanted to back out of my driveway so I could go to work.

NOTE: The snow blower vibrated so much the nut flew off – landed somewhere in the snow – never found it. Spent the entire time bent over holding the piece together – sprayed the wall of my house with a wall of snow** while bent over holding the thing together.

Can only imagine my neighbors watching – drinking beer and laughing at the fool trying to clear the driveway only to have the HOA plow block her ability to go to work.

I managed to get to work but…

Ginsu Moment

I pulled into my plowed driveway to see my precious daffodils had all fainted – their beautiful flowers laying their flower heads on ice cold snow.  

I thought they were dead.

I should have trusted Mother Nature.

Within 48 hours

Sun shining on snow  

Drove over the crunchy driveway snow to see my precious signs of spring were standing upright

Life knocks us down but then the sun comes out and we stand up again.

** Aaron still laughs at pulling up seeing a wall of snow on the brick of our house that didn’t melt til July along with the fact we never found the nut that flew off into grass covered in 6 inches of snow.

Look for the Bright Spots

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Getting ready to record the next podcast episode.  This one is different stylistically as it focuses more on the nurture side of things but the stories provide context and there’s plenty of information on how to integrate holistic health practices into everyday living.

Sharing the stories had me thinking of how throughout my life – a life filled with plenty of adversity – I always had some wonderful positive experience (or person) to offset or perhaps more apt – get me through that adversity.

To Give Context

I’m wearing a cool t-shirt with Tarpon Springs (FL) on the front.  While on my walk this morning I chatted with someone who thought she’d been there.

I walk 7 – 10 miles a day 7 days a week.

As we compared notes it became evident we were talking about the same cool place.  

Closing the Gap

The process of comparing notes had me describing the area in detail.  A big part of that was talking about the sponge docks where the boats in the harbor gather sponges from the sea floor, bring in shrimp, and a handful who do whaling.

It was when I described how they celebrate the Epiphany she knew we were talking about the same place.

It’s so cool.

As I was finishing my walk and just now sitting here I was thinking about why I knew so much about this place.  

That knowledge certainly didn’t come from going to school there for a handful of months.

A classmate I befriended invited me to her home.

A small sailboat she shared with her dad and older brother.

She walked me through the area and introduced me to a number of guys who made their living by the sea.

And who were fiercely protective of her and by extension – me.

I loved learning the whaling boat in the harbor that day had a kitty who loved to sail the seas.

What’s special about this? It’s one of many rays of sunshine that poked through clouds over my life.

My parents were on the verge of a divorce that plunged my mom brother and I into financial hardship as well as a host of other fun pieces to the separation puzzle.

It’s a reminder to look for the bright spots because they’re there even in the midst of chaos.

Be well.

Just For A Smile

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Dozens of times a day I exchange smiles and greetings.  I decided to spread the smiles by sharing a cool story.  

I wrote recently about our bearded dragon Gyro and his sensitivity to vibrations.

Voices and footalls among others.

He’s also sensitive to color as evident by his startle when I wear a dark colored shirt.

The theory is he thinks I’m a predator.

Recently I’ve been working in close proximity to Gyro.  A writer I’m far from a silent room companion.  

Key clicks.

To give context, a touch typist I can do upwards of 115 words/minute with one error and over the years I’ve had many people tell me they find the sound of my typing soothing.

The rhythm of it.

Morse Code

I’d noticed Gyro coming to the corner of the tank closest to where I sit typing.  I figured he liked hearing the key clicks because it meant someone was nearby.  Then another thought occurred.

Up until recently I’d been spending time working outdoors.  I’d noticed that a bird common in the area seemed to enjoy my company.  It took awhile but I figured out they liked the sound of my key clicks.  How?  

They were talking back!

This particular bird – a spotted towhee – makes a clicking sound rather than a chirp.  After several days working outside I tuned into the fact they were getting closer and closer eventually landing so close to me I thought they were going to land ON me.  Then I realized they were talking to me.

Their clicks in response to the key clicks I made while typing.

The Gyro Dance

I’d noted awhile back Gyro loves listening to 80s synth music.

Such as The Cars.  

He loves deep voices and will go to a part of the tank closest to the location where a deep voice originates.  The latest?

In response to my typing he has been standing on his back legs and tapping the tank glass with his arms.  He also butts it with his jaw.  The sounds of tapping against the glass echo the sounds of my typing.

Clicketty-clack Don’t Talk Back!!

Wait!  YES talk back!

Once I realized what was going on I began to pay attention and in so doing realized he butts his jaw against the glass when there’s a lull in my typing.  At that point I talk to him – assure him I’m here and I see him.  I also stop by the tank on my way out of the room – or in – and get low so as not to tower over him and make sure I’m in his line of sight.

I tell him how much I like him and think he’s awesome.

Lizard Brain

Ironically I’ve had a character in my Metatron’s Army series refer to the Light Beings as lizard brains from long before we got the beardie and I’ve always maintained Gyro has personality – to which I’ve been advised “He’s a lizard.” followed up with the idea he has “…like a single brain cell” from which to function.

Tongue in cheek of course

As I watched him excitedly typing against the glass today it occurred to me.  Many people who have bearded dragons likely keep them in a tank somewhere and then go off to school and/or work.  They don’t interact with their beardie on the level I have and I do working from home.

I’ve been picking him up to move him when his tank needed cleaning since we got him as a “tot” lizard and whenever I did I spoke to him.  Even as he grew I handled him though not outside of necessity and I always talked to him in a reassuring tone so as to not overly stress him.

I believe nature responds to us.  We might just have to look for it.

Hope this brings a smile.

Be well!