My Backyard
Sometimes, I need to take a morning and sit in my backyard to stop, relax and just refresh my soul by watching everything and doing nothing. Just “being”–as my old spiritual director used to say. A cup of good coffee and I’m set. The time in my backyard leaves me just as peaceful as a quiet moment alone in church.
The birds and the squirrels are a delight to watch. The cardinal perched on top of the forsythia makes for a beautiful contrast of red and yellow. The old buoys we’ve found on the beach hang in all their faded glory on the fence and rock gently in the breeze. My mimosa tree seems to grow before my eyes-this year I’ll be able to sit under it for shade. Just seeing them together while sitting out in my backyard makes me feel good.
Some neighbor-I haven’t figured out whom-got a rooster this spring, and it starts crowing about 4 a.m. and finally conks out late in the morning. I like the sound, it reminds me of girlhood summers in Vermont, but the owner of a very expensive bed & breakfast nearby is pretty unhappy because her guests don’t appreciate the natural wake-up call. My father once told me the farmer got a rooster to make the lady chickens “happy” but I know hens are quite capable of taking care of things themselves.
