Puttin' on the Green

By


St. Patrick’s Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, but not just because of all the hearty toasting – ha ha!  I think it’s because:

1.     Green is my favorite color;

2.     It means that the equinox and start of spring is close at hand;

3.     I do have some Irish blood in me (amongst seven other nationalities that I know of).

 

 

 

Desert Lupin rosette of new leaves

And at this time of year in Arivaca, the desert is also “puttin’ on the green” everywhere you look:  at the tops of the majestic Cottonwoods along the creek and the grasses at their feet, on the fuzzy rosettes of the desert lupins coming up through the path rocks, and the chartreuse shoots of spring veggie crops germinating in my garden.   Ahhh what a joyous sight! 

 

Spinach seedlings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lettuce seedlings

The color green has positive associations in many cultures throughout the world, perhaps because of the ancient instinct of humans to look for food, water, and shelter in lush green places.  But research studies over the past 20 years have also shown that humans focus better, have less stress, and feel more creative when surrounded by nature even when only viewing it on a screen. 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The lotus-like form of the Artichoke Agave
 

In addition, the color green is associated with luck (IE: 4-leafed clover) with long life (IE: evergreen), and with the heart chakra, which bridges the gap between the physical and spiritual worlds.  Full disclosure though: it’s also associated with illness and jealousy (IE:  “green around the gills” and “green with envy”), which may be because it is the color of bile, something that can make one feel quite ill or irritable if it rises up out of the stomach… But since bile is also an essential ingredient for each of us to be able to digest our food, I guess I don’t mind being a little green inside too! 

 

 

 

 

 

New growth on the New Mexico Asters
However, today as I write this on a beautiful St. Patrick’s Day afternoon, the new green growth is becoming more vibrant every minute, with its new life and new beginnings “blowing the doors off” the long winter, both inside and out.   The power of green is strong and mighty, yet soothing, calming, and hopeful at the same time.   May this spring bring a green wave of health and peace for the whole world.  

 Photo credits:

All photos by Emily Bishton

 

View from the patio doors


 

 

Popular posts from this blog

The Fabulous Grey Fox

By
Image
What a beauty October and November are that magical time of the year when the Jujube fruit has ripened, and the 24-hr. “snacketeria” opens for wildlife.   During the daytime hours, the Northern Flickers and other woodpeckers feast, jumping from branch to branch and calling to each other from the treetop.   Customers during the late night hours include the “cleanup crew” of Grey Foxes, standing on their hind legs to carefully pluck fruit from between the sharp thorns on the lower branches, then putting their noses to the ground to get every last morsel of fruit that has fallen. Fresh Jujube fruit The Grey Fox is such a beautiful animal, with an ultra-thick coat, rusty red chest and legs, white throat, and long fluffy tail.   It’s easy to distinguish them from a coyote even with a quick glance of their silhouette, as they are much smaller in size than the coyote -- usually only around 3ft long from trip of nose to tip of tail, and weigh only 7 to 11 pounds.   Their muz
Read more

How Did I Get Here?

By
Image
The first Bards and Bratz event at the Arivaca Dancehall happened on the afternoon of October 1st, with the theme "How the Heck did I Get Here? and Why am I Still Here?"  I decided to write a poem for the occasion, and below is Part 1, accompanied by photos of the Arivaca Cienega taken in 1993 during the very first trip Uno and I made to this area: HOW DID I GET HERE?                   Frosty, pink dawns in the Cienega; Red-winged Blackbirds calling from the Cattails; Deer standing in knee-high March rain; New leaves on the Cottonwoods; Black Vultures playing with the wind; Ginormous Barrel Cactus; Mergansers and Buffleheads in the Willow Pond; Pied-bills in the Grebe Pond; Lark Sparrows darting in and out of the trails; White Kites and Northern Harriers hovering overhead; The warm warm sun, shining on Vermillion flycatchers; The bubbling of the creek over rocks and downed logs,   a ribbon of green along its edge; A Wilson’s Warbler la
Read more

In Living Color

By
Image
 This summer has been a magnificent feast for the eyes, with an abundance of butterflies and bees in my home garden as well as in the Pollinator Garden at the Arivaca Dancehall.  In the midst of 19 months of hard and dusty work on the dancehall project, the sight of all this natural beauty has refreshed and renewed my aching body and brain more times than I can count.  I am grateful to all the winged wonders that have crossed my path during that time, and in so doing have brought their living color into my life and lightened my load in every way.  Below are some of the "flying jewels" that I have managed to photograph and video during the last couple of months.   These are actually Queen butterflies at the Arivaca Library :)
Read more