May Daze

Part of the joy of spring is watching for those first green things, and they usually appear in an order that has to do with increasing light and temperature. There are spring wildflowers that are referred to as 'ephemerals' because they flower early, then disappear before the leafy canopy unfolds and the temperatures rise. As spring has not exactly been performing according to Hoyle, that is to say, proceeding in a measured, gentle fashion, it feels the early spring has itself  been ephemeral.

We shall take a moment to mourn the all too swift passage of several of our lovely woodland friends who we shall not see again until next spring;

Spring Beauty blooming here amongst the trilliums is a tiny white treasure with pink stripes... 

Bloodroot with its sweet white flowers and leaves that wrap around the stems like a blanket... 

White Trout-lily with leaves of speckled brown and green and its yellow kissing cousin. There are many others, that if you blinked in the past few weeks, you might have missed their brief presence. However, as Spring unfolds, each week brings new things to see. 

Here are some wildflowers that are blooming this week;

Our Provincial flower, the Trillium, continues to blanket hillsides and woodland floors, and if you look carefully you may see a red one. Whilst it is lovely to look upon, like the skunk cabbage, the red trillium is pollinated by carrion flies, which means that there will never be an Eau de Red Trillium at the perfume counter.

Rue Anemone is a delicate little plant with a passing resemblance to Hepatica. It offers pollen but no nectar to passing insects, and must be a bit particular about where it grows because I only saw it in two places. 

Early meadow Rue begins like this..

and when it is all stretched up and unfurled, becomes this. Apparently male and female flowers are on separate plants, and the flowers above with the yellow dangly bits are male. The female plants do not have dangly bits in case you might be wondering. 

The heart-shaped leaves of the Wild Ginger could be easily overlooked. They hug the ground and are often overshadowed by other foliage. Ginger has an unusual flower that is not only concealed beneath its leaves, but often covered by dirt and debris.

Bluebells are still blooming are other Borage family members; the Forget-me-not and Lungwort (below).

All 'worts', not to be confused with warts, indicate a medicinal use. In this case, Lungwort is for ailments of the respiratory system, although it has many other uses. It is somewhat terrifying to realize that in the 1600's plant usage was often determined by what part of the body the plant in some way resembled. The leaves of the Lungwort were thought to resemble lung tissue therefore...

Two-leaved Toothwort will be found near a creek or where it is swampy.  It is a member of the large Mustard family, all of whose members have flowers with four petals. The black sheep of the Mustard clan at present, is Garlic Mustard whose progeny is too numerous to count and is trying for world domination.It is actually on Wanted posters.

courtesy of: http://londonmiddlesexmastergardeners.com/invader-month-garlic-mustard/

This is Antennaria neglecta, commonly known as Field Pussytoes. It is a native species that blooms early and is a host plant for the American Painted Lady butterfly. Despite the tenuous resemblance to a cat's paw, I think its pretty adorable.

I paid a short visit to the Sudden Forest Tract yesterday. I meant to stay for a while but the cloud of ravenous mosquitoes altered my plans. The sky went black, truly! I did however spot this Two-leaved Mitrewort for the first time. The flowers are tiny, fringed and quite lovely. Fascinating intricacy in a wee package.

This was the only clump that I saw but I will return when I am more prepared.

Jack-in-the-pulpit is one of my favorites. It can be a little challenging to find because it blends in so well. I did not realize that the flower and leaves emerged out of these speckled 'spikes'. 

The Arum family is identified by its flower structures, the spadix and the spathe. In this case, 'jack' is the spadix, and the 'pulpit' is the spathe. Another member of this family flowers in late winter; the skunk cabbage. 

Calla palustris, which is Latin for beautiful, of the marsh, is more commonly known as Water Arum or Wild Calla. Its spathe is white, and its spadix is clearly visible, setting it apart from its cousins. It is rather elegant I think. Apparently the little green spots, for which I am sure there is a complex botanical term, will shortly sprout tiny white flowers.  

Small-flowered Crowfoot is the earliest spring arrival in the Buttercup clan. Its flower is less than 1/4 inch in diameter, but is a perfect little white star. I read that its leaf pattern is 'disorganized' but I think that it is just the tiniest bit rebellious and decided that it liked more than one shape of leaf in random order. So there. (maybe it is the teenager of the family)

Wood Anemone is related to the Crowfoot. Its bloom opens and closes with daylight and they can be found nestled at the feet of the trilliums.

These will soon be replaced by the Canada Anemone which is a larger version, and will have more than one flower on its stem. I think i prefer this petite version.

Lest we think that all spring blooms are white, we shall finish for now, with the Large-flowered Bellwort. It looks like it is desperate for water because both the leaves and the flowers droop. The flowers are bell-shaped but appear too tired to open and perhaps this lead to its floral meaning of 'hopelessness'. So not a plant you want to gift anyone with. So why is it a 'wort'? Apparently useful in a poultice for boils and ulcers..just gets better and better.

Although violets are still blooming in the woods in all colours; yellow, white, blue and purple, you will not see these. Years ago a neighbour gave me a clump of these, and he called them 'Freckle face". They have naturalized in my yard, (as in spread like crazy) and give me joy in the spring. 

In a cosmic sense, so many things are fleeting..ok maybe not winter, but sometimes things, people, experiences, are only here for a moment. But it is so hard to live in the moment because there is always something pushing or beckoning us send into the next moment, often before we are ready. Before we have a chance to savour the moment we are in. I tend to be an 'anticipator', (insert worrier). This means that in thinking about what could happen, I can lose focus on what is happening, and therefore lose the enjoyment of the present. I have been this way for 60 years now, it is a part of how I am made. With it comes anxiety and sometimes fear. For me, a significant therapy is the woodland trails. I wander, dawdle, and focus on its sights and sounds, large and small. I am able to replace anxiety with calm, and fear with wonder for a time. Life doesn't go away, it awaits my return, but my balance it restored.

And just as surely, the path awaits me, and I will return to see what is around the bend.
  

In pursuit of happiness

I was listening to the radio the other day, and a young woman was being interviewed. She was going to be in a position of influence to other young people, and her passion to help was sincere and laudable. I was right along with her until she summed up her philosophy with "well everyone deserves to be happy; after all that is what life is about". I waited for the moderator to challenge her, but it didn't happen. Maybe they were all sitting in the studio nodding their heads in agreement. How can so many people believe this is somehow their divine right when life all around us shows us that this is a state most difficult to achieve. 

"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness", an "inalienable right" says the Declaration of Independence. The idea that we have a right to be happy is a thought not limited to the United States. The problem is that the context of those words has been lost. Liberty is now interpreted as freedom with license to do whatever you like; freedom without responsibility. The pursuit of happiness seems to have become the pursuit of pleasing oneself, often to the exclusion of others. Those 'inalienable rights' were penned with the understanding that "in God we trust", meaning that there was a context of right and wrong, and the greater good was implicit. 

When something is taken out of its context, the original meaning becomes lost. I looked up the word 'pursuit' and found that it has two meanings; the act of following or chasing after something; or, an activity of a specified kind. I think both apply to many people; they are chasing after someone or something that they believe will make them happy, and that pursuit, that activity becomes their life. The trouble is that those things can remain outside of our grasp, or their presence can be fleeting, or having it or them may not actually bring the desired result. So it would seem that this pursuit might instead lead to unhappiness, pain or bitterness. If you expect to be happy or feel that you deserve to be, how will you cope with life's inevitable burdens of of disappointment, frustration, illness and struggle. 

Aristotle thought that happiness was the central goal of a life, calling it "an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue" and evaluated at the end of a life. So happiness was the sum total of a life well or virtuously lived, which meant that the development of character and skill was equally, if not more important than worldly position or possessions. 

So is it possible to be happy? Yes, but I think we have to redefine our expectations. There will be moments, occasions, people, that make us happy. But things that make us unhappy are easier to define and often last longer; big things like knowing I am losing my brother bit by bit, day by day, to a debilitating illness; small things like a warning light that came on in my car yesterday. (There might as well be a $ sign that lights up at the same time.) 

So what to do...some people look to a religious belief to keep them looking inward as well as outward. Others find balance in meditation. I think that to start down a road of balance there are attributes, largely forgotten, that need to be cultivated.

Contentment - We live in a society of people who never have enough; where the pressure to have the latest whatever is enormous, and the expectation to fit in a prescribed mold is overwhelming for many. It is important to cultivate acceptance and how to be content in our circumstances, with what we have, and with who we are.

 
Gratitude - I feel like gratitude is the active side of contentment. It expresses with words and actions appreciation for what we have and who others are. This can be uncomfortable if you are shy or unused to it, but it is pretty easy to say a 'thank you'. Before long, with practice, you can express what you are thankful for..'thank you for calling', or 'thinking of me', or 'the ride'. It is so important to be grateful and to show appreciation.

Kindness - So many people feel unseen, uncared for, unloved. It is impossible to know the path that someone is walking and how they feel. A gruff manner or appearance can cover a deep pain. A smile can make someone's day, make them feel like someone has actually seen them. A gesture of help or a kind word can make a big difference to someone struggling. It only costs a moment of time.

Mindfulness - This is the one that takes more effort. This is the conscious decision to slow down, focus outward, and look for the small joys. I don't walk for my physical health especially, but for my emotional health. There are so many wonders to be seen on the path in the woods, or by the river. However, this is a practice to make part of your day no matter where you are. In the grocery store you can pause to enjoy the colours and shapes of the vegetables, or enjoy the the bouquets in the florist area. If you walk to the mailbox, enjoy the cloud formations, or a colourful door on someone's house. Being present, being in the moment, takes work but pays huge dividends in emotional well being. It also builds relationships because people sense that they have your whole attention and confers importance to the moment. 

These Virginia bluebells are considered spring ephemerals, which means that they last for a very short time. A moment of beauty, a reason to pause and enjoy, a cause for gratitude and mindfulness.