Renewal and Nourishment

Easter, Passover, and Ramadan with their elements of renewal and spiritual nourishment have past. May is arriving and Spring continues offering opportunities for feeling renewed and nourished. Spring is widely recognized as a time of transition from winter’s dormancy to new life, growth, and hope. 

Over the years volunteers and I have sown seeds in Prospect Gardens. This poem by Wendell Berry, farmer, philosopher, poet and conservationist, expresses how being mindful of sowing seeds generates feelings of renewal and nourishment.  

Sowing the seed,

my hand is one with the earth

Wanting the seed to grow,

my hands are one with the rain

Having cared for the plants,

my mind is one with the air

Hungry and thrusting

my mind is one with the earth

Eating the fruit,

my body is one with the earth. 

Feeling renewed and nourished by Spring can be challenging given the negativity surrounding us and notably politically related events. Yet once again, the Redbud trees within our neighborhood are at their peak including those located along a path in the UW Arboretum which I often take on my walks. Now I check on the Canadian goose sitting patiently on her nest on the west side of a small island in the middle of a storm water pond  across from Gates and Brovi. Nearby, the gander stoically sits, usually in the water or in the grass bordering the pond. He will become very involved in raising the goslings. Hopefully, I will see the goslings. The eggs will hatch any day.

 Further down the path and on the west side of the Spring Trail Pond (commonly referred to as the "Duck Pond")  a Sandhill Crane is nesting while her mate stands guard. He too will co-parent the colt. I observe them from a safe distance through my binoculars. The female hardly moves while blending into the dry reeds surrounding the nest. The male occasionally preens himself, bending his long neck to reach the back of his under-belly.   

The “Duck Pond” is also in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum and a short walk from our apartment. Large numbers of native mallard ducks inhabit the pond year ’round.  Water from a spring flows into the pond and makes it way into Lake Wingra just beyond the tree line. The water is warm enough year-round to remain unfrozen during our winters. Sometimes steam rises above the water as the ducks enjoy the warmth and call out to each other. 

The Duck Pond was dredged and created in the 1930s, with much of construction done by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The nearby stone walls, associated with the site, were also built by the CCC. I often during a walk pause and sit on these walls; resting while being nourished by the Spring sunshine and warm breezes.

Patches of delicate trout lilies are another indicator of  Spring's renewal.  Once again they break through the underlying layer of brown leaves and spread across the both sides of the path I walk on. Their return and beauty nourish my spirit.  

These reflections remind me of childhood Spring time on the farm where I was born on and reached young adulthood. A creek leading to a large size pond were easily seen from windows of our four square farm house.  As a result of Spring rain, the creek and pond often flooded and overflowed. I can still hear the pleasant sounding rushing water as I watched from our house porch, just off the kitchen. 

The rushing water and returning Red Winged Blackbirds near the pond contributed to a sense of peace. However, male birds were very protective when their mates were nesting. Our farm was at the dead end of a mile long gravel road which had a patch of swamp after you entered the road from Highway 29.  During nesting season when my siblings and I walked down the road, as we often did to get the mail from the mailbox at the other side of Highway 29, the males squawked and dived-bombed towards our heads. Walking fast and waving your hands above your head helped prevent actual head contact by the defending males.   

Polandi: Early 1950s, I'm 2nd on right side, first row  

A Spring ritual at our one room school house was to track signs of Spring and create a written record.  Among my entries, along with the Red Wind Black Birds, were Robins, Swallows, and Killdeer. Robins did not remain during winter as they now do here in the Madison area.

Robins were the first to return followed by the Red Wing Blackbirds. The Killdeer and the Barn Swallows arrived later. Flocks of Barn Swallows built new or returned to old nests under the eves of the barn. Their nests went from one end to the other, covering the eves on both sides of the barn. The Swallows' chirping and callings were music to my young ears and brain. 

Killdeer were fewer in number and more solitary. They nested on flat open spaces in our pastures or along the roadside to our farm.  Killdeer when startled made a sharp sound and scampered away at a quick pace. 

During Spring my siblings and I enjoyed the birth of animals: goslings, calves, piglets, kittens, and puppies. Chicks were ordered and delivered to the Pulaski Post Office.  After being picked up, several boxes of peeping chicks were released in a special building known as a 'broader."  An electric heating bulb along with heat from a wood stove kept the broader warm during cold Spring nights. My Mother religiously tended the fire, sometimes during the night. I helped my Mother feed the chicks while she watched over them as they matured. We did not consider the chicks as pets. Eventually, the chickens and geese were slaughtered and sold. 

My early positive feelings about Spring laid the foundation for appreciating the season as an adult. On April 25th, we began the 17th year of tending Prospect Gardens, a continual experience of renewal and nourishment.

Ten volunteers joined me on a day with puffy white clouds, blue sky and warm temperatures. In front and to the right is Erica. Sitting on the third step is me, then Alice, Astrid, and Ann N in her stylish sun hat. Near the right handrail is Dan. In the back row are  Clara, Kaylee, and Peggy. 

Shelia and Laura are not pictured. Thank you all. Your generosity and warm spirits made for a nourishing day.  Removing stinging nettles was the major task. This year they had spread throughout the Gardens. Some day lilies were removed and will be replaced with native plants.  Plant stalks were cut back and the orange snow fences taken down. 

We accomplished a lot while enjoying each others' company. Break was especially enjoyable. Astrid read a poem she wrote about her Westmoreland neighbors. She mentioned people, plants, pets, and unique things like a woven tapestry around a tree. To me, the poem is another example of being nourished by the daily extraordinariness of neighborhoods. Thank you, Astrid, for sharing a result of your mindfulness and your love of your neighborhood. 

 Here's Clara and Kaylee, two West High School's Leo Club members. Your youthful energy and hard work really made a difference. Good luck with those AP exams you mentioned. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedules. 

Dan and Astrid spent a lot of time removing Stinging Nettles. Dan was a first time volunteer while Astrid is now a veteran. Thank you both. Dan, here's hoping to see you again. 

Last week I talked to a couple harvesting young Stinging Nettles and young Bishops Weed. They were just off the Southwest Path and in the Westmoreland neighborhood. The young women praised both plants as tasty food and said they were excellent in salads.

  

Alice and Shelia removed day lilies commonly known as "ditch lilies."  They have been in this section for years, predating the Southwest Path. Day lilies  are aggressive, spreading and claiming new territory. Perhaps the mild winter was a contributing factor. Thank you Alice and Shelia for once again volunteering.

Erica getting ready to cross the path in search of more Stinging Nettles on the Fox side of the Gardens. A few were found. She also found and pulled a few garlic mustards which several years ago were prevalent throughout the Gardens. Last season we had none. Thank you Erica for once again volunteering after a hiatus. Welcome back. 

Thank you to Laura also (not pictured) but a very long time loyal volunteer.

May you too feel Spring's power of renewal and capacity to nourish your mind and body. I end with this Mary Oliver's poem that underscores the power of nature and ends with reminding us we are all embedded in the web of life.  

Wild Geese  

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes,

over the prairies and the deep trees,

the mountains and the rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting -

over and over announcing your place

in the family of things.