Sunday, April 4, 2010

The sunny bank

Seeking Sunshine

Snow Trillium, Trillium nivale

I sat for a day in the woods, on a warm bank where some shrubs had filled the space beneath the bare trees and had already begun to leaf-out, while all else around stayed buried in the layer of dense brown leaves. Working with a small hand saw, I cleared the entire bank of them, creeping from one bush to the next, attacking each branch near its base, until I stopped for the day, utterly exhausted, yet pleased with the freshly cleared space.
Between the tall trees, there is a place now for their dropped seeds to set young roots, regrow these woods for years to come, help them to become healthy and strong.

Later that evening, I put my hand to my face to find the top of my nose sore, and upon looking in the mirror, red with an early sunburn, and one gained in the least of likely places—the woods.

Before the tall trees shade this brown bank, before the dimness of the woods becomes the home to thrush song, before the ferns and herbs emerge to drink in the shade of the summer forest, it is a place for wildflowers.


Snow Trillium, Trillium nivale





garter snake on sunny bank


First Hepatica

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9 comments:

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

If someone were to read these words to me I'd know they were your Nina.

Happy Easter.

Laure Ferlita said...

Thanks for the beautiful visit in the forest this morning!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Our woods (at the park where we walk regularly) the hillsides are full of blooming Dutchmans Breeches. Of course all the expected at this time of year are beginning to bloom too. It just looks so pretty. You will be so happy with yourself for getting out there and clearing this spring when the trees start shooting up. I wish you a happy and blessed Easter.

Photo Cache said...

I hoped your Easter was wonderful.

Mary said...

Absolutely. No one writes the way you do, Nina. I came here tonight to get my "Nina Fix".

Bradley Hsi said...

Working with a hand saw, it must be a very hard work for a day. However, with a chain saw then the day would be ruined.Let us welcome the spring.

MojoMan said...

Thanks for taking us along on your work day.

What were the shrubs you were cutting? Does the forest form a closed canopy above?

nina at Nature Remains. said...

I'm taking on the honeysuckle--an invasive that greens up ahead of most others, making it easy to spot in the spring woods. Right now, no other trees have leafed out--the woods are sunny and the bank warm.
Soon the canopy will close over it all.

Deborah Carr said...

First flowers bring such surprise and delight. My post today is on my first mayflowers...ever.