Message from the Mountain

I wonder if April is going to fool us into thinking spring has really arrived, or will winter come back again? I also wonder if we fool ourselves about our life purpose. Are we fooling our ego that s…

The last few days of March have been wet snow turning to icy rain creating a very slippery slope on the driveway. It was wise to just stay put. I think of the times in life when we are tempted to ven…

As I was admiring some birch trees, I saw a mossy heart on the bark of one of them. To me, a heart shape is a sign that I am not alone. I believe we all get signs that appear in different forms, and …

The birch trees along our driveway appear to have a lot of red in their bark. We have white, yellow, and grey birches, and the red birch will change color to white as the new bark matures. It reminds…

Recently, someone spotted a very unique, textured stone in the parking lot. They paused, picked it up, and brought it into the Center. It was a special moment that could easily have been missed. Awar…

It seems my life is the story of working on something until I can’t do it any better at that moment, so I am always done and never finished. That is the story of winter this year. Just when we think …

Just as the winter season was about over, we got hit with a snowstorm dropping six inches of new powder on the mountainside. At the same time, despite the inconvenience, there is a silver lining to t…

I have noticed that in the winter male yellow finches look nearly the same as the females. Now they are beginning to change color into their brilliant yellow, just in time for the mating season. In l…

When I find pussy willow buds in the early spring, I get a warm fuzzy feeling in my heart that warmer days are on the way. Warm fuzzy feelings happen daily for me whenever I experience something posi…

As we approach the spring growing season most of the trees appear ready to produce new leaf buds. The lone exception here in the mountains is the beech trees that are the last to release their old le…

I recently spotted the first robin of the spring on our front lawn. It is the completion of another seasonal ritual for me, and my heart is so grateful for its return. There are so many moments in li…

I often carry a camera with me when I am outside to have ready in case something captures my attention. It is my way of pausing and taking in the moment. At the same time, I take a breath and feel gr…

Finally, the calendar says Spring. It was a long winter for me, and now, even though we may have more snow, the worst of the cold is behind us. Sometimes life seems to move so slowly and sometimes it…

The little brook that flows by my windows is now filled with the melting snows of winter and is rushing onward towards the great ocean beyond. I can imagine the experiences a drop of water is having …

Another sign of spring is the chipmunk sticking its head up in the center of our millstone and chipping away. The warmer weather is chipping away at the snow cover and people always have the opportun…

It being St. Patrick’s Day, I was on the lookout for Leprechaun footprints in the green moss and their pot of gold, but the snow was still hiding them. However, I realized there was gold in the beaut…

The sun is nearly at its halfway point in its northward movement. At this time it is aligned with our leaded glass window’s sun created for us by a gifted artist. It is time to feel the wonderful ene…

I had heard on the news that there was going to be a full moon eclipse in the middle of the night, and I woke up at the right time and attempted to take some photos. Although they were all blurry, I …

I keep watch of the changes taking place on the mountainside as spring continues its march through March. Melting is now evident under the larger trees. I am also watching the changes in people who a…

The energy forces of nature are ramping up the flow. The water in the brook is increasing, and from under the ground all the plants are beginning to start their spring push. I feel this energy, and m…