The Real Nature Channel


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We all have preferences. I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose, I would always greet it in a garden.

~Ruth Stout


Dear Reader

On our nightly walk up the boarding road, Joachim and I often review the day, sharing highlights and challenges. Deep into our discussion, a movement in the woods to the left caught our attention. Pausing both walk and conversation and scanning the overgrowth, we, at the same time, tracked a set of blue eyes peering from a smoky grey bundle of fur. A feral kitten was our first thought, but it was too large. It was when a second one stumbled out from behind a tarp on stubby legs that we clearly saw they were two very young kit foxes. The first, perched on top of an old compost pile, was just as curious about us as we were about her. For a moment, we stared each other down, then, keeping our distance, we continued on, marveling at such a lucky encounter.

Having bedded in a few trays of starts, late one afternoon, I went to give them a good watering. Making my way behind the still bare cherry tree and careful to step around our resident mama toad, I reached for the main valve. There in the sun-drenched corner was the first ribbon snake of the season. Not bothered in the least by my appearance, he continued with his sunbath as I celebrated the first snake sighting, a nod from nature that spring has fully arrived.

Potato and onion planting was high on this week's list, and since it's no small task, I enlisted my favorite partner. Both of us, with our hands deep in the soil, were thrilled by what we discovered: the return of copious earthworms and baby toads. These front beds, unlike those within our back garden, were deeply disturbed during our first growing season. A new sewer system was urgently required, and trenching, along with replacement topsoil, caused significant damage to what had been a healthy soil structure. Last season, the lack of life in the soil was evident, and productivity was low. In response, as fall approached, I top-dressed beds with our compost and then covered-cropped with oats. This return of life within the soil is nature's surest signal that your work is headed in the right direction.

What a privilege it has been these past weeks to have had a front row seat to spring's unfolding.

Tuning into this real-life nature channel saves me each and every day. It keeps my mind where it belongs, in the here and now, and reminds me of what is true. The shows on this channel only come once a year. If I tune out, I could miss that first violet blossom or first bees hovering over the Black Currant, and that would truly be a pity.

This weekend, the Sun transits Gate 27, the Gate of Caring. It correlates with the I Ching Hexagram Nourishment. In this moment, you are invited to consider what nourishes you. I suspect you've already begun pondering this theme, even subconsciously. Remember, nourishment comes in many forms, not only from food sources. Relationships, activities, even naps can be nourishing. What if, in the midst of this period that ends Monday, you intentionally lean into all that nourishes you and away from what doesn't?

Considering the theme of nourishment, I took a brief break from my prolific planting yesterday and quite spontaneously tended a long-neglected perennial bed. It was a particularly cozy spot, warmed by sunlight and sheltered from the wind. There, I snipped away at overwintered stalks and let the plants guide further actions, nourishing us both in the process. It can be that simple. What will it be for you?

Until next week,

The sun transits through Gates 27 & 24

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Field Notes from Lauren

I began expressing my big Cancer emotions through writing at a very young age. For me, the unique act of writing is what allows me to process and evolve fully . Today, my weekly missives follow themes that weave between the literal fields of my work in the Gemmo Forest, our family homestead garden, and the energy field we all experience. My life now follows the rhythm of the land. From spring through fall, I can be found outdoors, hands in the dirt, working alongside her husband, Joachim, to tend our 7,500-square-foot family garden or with local volunteers caring for Gemmo Forest. When the cold sets in and the fields rest, I return indoors, where I rekindle my love of writing by the wood stove, always with my faithful calico, Ruby, curled close by.

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