There is a moment in May when all the world begins to show color.  Day by day the earth warms and the air softens. The mountainside transforms from amber  browns to shades of green and  blossom white.

By May, the fields come into glory with new grass, grain, and hay.  Blossom and wildflower petals flutter in the slightest breeze.  Delicate sunbeams play among the clouds casting light, shade, and shadows.  Snow-mountain streams and meadow brooks rush carelessly out to sea.

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
William Shakespeare

Saddler's Run meanders through the farming meadows of Big Valley heading south to the Juniata River.  Beautiful huge willow trees grow on the banks of this gentle stream.

 Some willow trees have a seven-trunk cluster at the base of a 100 foot tree. Spring rains, March winds, and heavy snows have aged and weathered these majestic trees. 

The willow trees along the stream are known as black willow and have spreading nature.  Like most willows, they grow best near the waters course and have a fast growing habit. While many trees out-live several generations, the black willow survives only 75 to 85 years and eventually succombs to nature's elements.

For many summers the dead limbs on the willow (pictured above) housed a family of mockingbirds and hosted scores of buzzards basking in the morning sun before toppling to the ground.  It was a giving tree to the end.  I am always sadden to see a mature tree die.  It is like losing a friend or a family member. Nothing will take its place and only time can fill the empty space that remains in the soil or in the heart.

Yesterday afternoon, my neighbor saw a groundhog basking in the warm sun.   He said groundhog sightings  in February are unheard of around here, but he agrees with the old timers who say, "an early Easter brings an early spring."  Having been a farmer most of his eighty-plus years and having a great understanding of animals, I'm convinced his observation is right. 

Seeing ducks, birds, and animals traveling in pairs and working to construct a nesting home for their little ones is another sure sign that love is in the air and spring is near. 

Birds are the first to herald springtime. Hearing the Red-Winged Blackbird's "chit-squeeze" territorial call and the Flicker's cranky squawk echoing through the valley today caused my step to grew lighter and my heart to race faster as if receiving good news from an old friend.  Winter will soon be past no matter if the weatherman predicts a wintry mix for this afternoon.   
Stay positive and take joy in the day,
Sally

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you will never see the shadow.”
 Helen Keller

Keep your faith in beautiful things, 
in the sunshine when it is hidden,
 in the spring when it is gone.  
Roy R. Gibson 

Do you ever feel like you are chasing the wind trying desperately to handle daily life and not making any headway towards long-range goals?   If so, take heart because "this time too shall pass" as my old neighbor used to say.  She was a widow who had buried two husbands and still managed to maintain a pleasant attitude towards life.   She told me to enjoy every day because life was short with no promise of tomorrow then she invited me to have another cup of tea.  Although I had a million things to do, nothing seemed nearly as important as taking a few moments to relish another cup of tea because "this too shall pass."  

 Winter is for a season.
"This too shall pass."

Day is done gone the sun,
Sally

October's unstable weather was reflected in the evening sky as clouds gave way to rain, sunshine, and rainbows. For nearly thirty minutes the sun glowed in changing colors of crimson and gold until a cloud bank rolled in with the promise of more rain putting an end to the colorful display.