The big birds flying around this tree are turkey vultures. Early every April they suddenly appear in the sky above our neighborhood having flown up from somewhere down south where they have spent the winter. Throughout the spring and summer they roost in a tree two blocks from us, flying away every morning to spend the day hunting and eating and flying back home every night to crowd into the tall tree and, one imagines, tell each other tales of the day's adventures. In early October they are suddenly gone, having left for their winter home.
They are fun to watch as they depart and return from their roost each day, riding the air currents high above us, swooping and gliding in a leisurely way that makes you almost wish you could join them.
But Spring has always been a busy time of year for me, and that's true even in retirement. The winter's call to stay home, slow down, sit by the fire, read a book, do some handwork, build a stew for dinner is replaced by the urge to get outside, go hiking, hit the bike path, and get working in the garden.
To me, Spring has always brought the message to "do more!" at the same time telling me that I've somehow missed the winter. The fact is that I didn't spend the winter months sitting leisurely by the fire. And now the warmer weather is here and it's officially time to be outdoors, and time is propelling forward at this unstoppable pace.
The fact is that I'm busy the whole year because I like being busy. And I especially like it in retirement because there are so many interesting and fun and useful things to do, no matter what time of year it is. And around here people are outdoors all year around.
So this year I'm going to resist those old messages. I'm not going to let Spring put me in a funk of thinking about time passing and too much to do and not enough time to enjoy life. I'm just going to enjoy what the change in seasons offers.
The other day I saw another sign of Spring, the return of the Segway tours that for some reason pass by on my street. I think it's a hoot that Boulder has a Segway tour and this year I'm going to join one and see just where it goes and what the tour guide says as he pauses the group at the corner by my house. Should be fun!
Turkey vultures are cool. I've only seen one once here in SoCal, but they were prolific on the central coast. We have some sparrow hawks and cooper hawks around these parts. I hear owls, but not often. Mostly coyotes. They whoop it up almost every night.
ReplyDeleteLove the Segways! Can't wait to hear about the tour!