Random Happy Thoughts

I decided to post some vignettes I wrote to be used for a radio station which wants to put our region on the map as the better alternative to pricey New England. Being that they are pretty universal in their sympathies and ability create warm fuzzies, I decided to post them here for a change of pace to all that's sober and serious.

MUD SEASON

Here in Route 6 country there is a transitory time between winter and spring when anticipation is high and our spirits have to carry us through the mud – literally. Many’s the time when our family would have to park at the end of a mile long driveway and battle the temptation to grumble about it. Once that battle’s won, the beauty of the circumstance reveals itself. Bodies, overpacked with cushioning against the winter chills, are forced to move into action and with the blood flow comes an invigorating sense of coming alive with the rest of creation which has spent the last 4 months in dormancy. Walking along inevitably provides opportunity for connecting with one another that a swift car ride home aborts. We find ourselves lost in the moment, not minding the molasses-like pull of the mud on our boots, but inadvertently willing the walk to last as long as possible. The spring calls of the returning birds provide the background symphony for a setting of reconnecting with the pace of nature in the midst of our high-tech realities. The kids, now young adults, revert to a childhood tradition as they look around for “signs of spring” and we all rejoice to see little patches of coltsfoot coming to life. Our talk is light, yet deepens the bonds between us and the reality of a fifth season in our year, mud season, only adds to our rejoicing at the blessing of being able to live in such a place.

SPRING

Ahhh, spring! The great outdoors testify at every turn to the glorious new beginnings of life and hopes. One can’t help but gain an enlarged vision as you walk a trail which has undergone the ravages of a stormy winter and yet, with the feistyness of the American spirit, pushes forth new life to overcome what is drab and dead. Life just jumps out at you and fills every sensory channel enlisted to take it all in. Chickadees, mating, call to eachother in suave tones very unlike their chattering throughout the long winter. Peepers make our own hearts sing as they announce the cycle of life ready to burst forth at the ponds. A flock of baby turkeys crosses the path unaware that you are once more in awe of the many reminders of the beauty of families. Rivers and streams join in spring”s New Life symphony as they swell with the God-given refreshment of new rain mixed with the meltdown of the winter’s icy countenance. The air smells of fresh earth and brings to mind the mouth-watering produce all the seedlings being carefully tended indoors will soon produce. And then there’s the children’s laughter. Winter frolics can’t compare, in the bondage of snow gear and heavy boots, to the liberty of running sneaker-clad and coatless through an open field. Enveloped in the spring sunshine, cavorting with the warm breezes, one’s spirit swells watching the children laugh and play as ones released into a carefree fairyland. This is life in Route 6 country!

SUGARIN' TIME

Sometime in that quiet lull between winter and spring, unseen and unheard, there is a hidden pressurization towards a cellular dam break within sugar maple trees. With the temperatures freezing at night and warmer during the days, this dynamic transition occurs and the joys of “Sugaring Time” are heralded from the hilltops to the dales of Route 6 country. Piles of wood stacked the previous year are ‘on deck’, ready to be tossed into the boilers where they’ll fuel the fires, round the clock, for as many weeks as the sap continues to run. Sugar shacks dotting the landscape all around send up their seasonal smoke signals that the boiling has begun. From commercial operations, to small family experiments, from huge tank trucks and evaporators to small pails and pots over an open fire, families join together for this seasonal harvest of liquid gold. Everyone has a part to play whether it be harvesting the sap, feeding the fire, stirring the boiling sap, working the finished syrup through filters, filling bottles, grading the product or just being an on-hand taste tester. The aroma coming from the evaporating pan makes every mouth water in anticipation of the many recipes which will take a sweet turn as the new harvest is added to everything from cakes to stews or is poured into milk or over ice cream. Many varying grades of the syrup conform to the many taste preferences of its fans. The lightest is considered the fancy grade, with the most delicate maple flavor, while the darkest is has the more robust maple flavor, best for baking. Stories and fun flow as easily as the sap as the comraderie of work has its magical effect. Many’s the long watch of the night for those on duty in the sugar shacks, but it’s a season none would trade as an opportunity for quality time with friends and family or just musing on the privileges of country living.