Awaiting springtime in Montana

Chuck Ferris ( http://journals.aol.com/chasferris/DribblebyChuckFerris/ ) writes about just about anything that comes to his very active and perceptive mind. I enjoy the tidbits and days long streams of consciousness that he posts on his blog.

I think I "get" Chuck about 45 percent of the time. That, in my view is a very high percentage. Considering the fact that he first must conceptualize his messages; then must code them using words that too often have several different meanings; the message is sent in some kind of context -- Chuck most often uses specific occurrences from his current daily life to illustrate larger points; and finally there is the challenge I face in decoding the message and attempting to re-conceptualize it in my own brain.

Recently, Chuck posted a series of photographs focused on a single rosebud. The series celebrates the coming of spring, but it also illustrates the cycle of life as that bud first hesitated before blossoming into its glory. It reached full maturity, spreading wide and releasing a perfume we could almost smell through our computer screens.

Then, inevitably, the rose blossom began its decline. Its form softened and petals began to drop. Less than two months after life began, our subject rose was gone. It gave way to those that follow, greater numbers that fill the view with fresh color.

Spring was my constant companion as I moved north through California, Oregon and Washington. I enjoyed the flowering of bushes and trees and the greening of grass and shrubs – happening just as I made my way into more and more northern climes.

I have outpaced the changing season here in Montana. For once, I’ve moved backward from spring to winter. I’m hoping to see the metamorphosis begin during the next four days – before I cross into Canada; but that timing is obviously beyond my control

The good news is that spring is inevitable and is an annual reminder that every form of life – human beings included – has a cycle. A rose’s span lasts just a few weeks; we enjoy scores of springs and winters.

My retreat back into winter reminded me of the beauty and power of nature. Her lessons are formulated in awesome colors and forms, offering clues as to where we fit into the scheme of things.

We are like the rose in that we are given a chance to blossom and grow. But our opportunities are not governed by the seasons; and when we fail to reach our potential, we may try again.

Chuck Ferris is able to appreciate this process; and because he stopped to photograph the roses, we have been reminded that the seasons pass quickly.

Perhaps driving a couple of thousand miles in order to see the beginning of spring twice in a single year is a bit extreme, but even when we stay in place, it’s a shame to ignore springs message of hope and promise.

And so, fellow travelers, happy spring (a month or so late this year) from Montana.