First Sign of Spring Season to come

Yesterday, after work, we let our dogs run and explore the big fields near our home. While I walked, I took in the gardens, filled with trees, shrubs, vegetables, strawberries, small plants, and bulbs spread throughout.

One of the bulbs, the daffodils, is starting to bud and should open in a day or two. The Grevillea, also known as spider flowers, silky oaks, or toothbrush plants, is showing yellow and red blooms on another group of shrubs.

These late-winter flowers, especially the yellow daffodils, are a sign that spring is on its way.

Very Early Spring

By Katherine Mansfield

The fields are snowbound no longer;

There are little blue lakes and flags of tenderest green.

The snow has been caught up in the sky–

So many white clouds–and the blue of the sky is cold.

Now the sun walks in the forest,

He touches the bows and stems with his golden fingers;

They shiver and wake from slumber.

Over the barren branches, he shakes his yellow curls.

Yet is the forest full of the sound of tears….

A wind dances over the fields.

Shrill and clear the sound of her waking laughter,

Yet the little blue lakes tremble.

And the flags of tenderest green bend and quiver.

Recently in New Zealand, wild weather has caused thousands of dollars in damage from flooding and heavy rain across the country. In the past few days, we’ve had light frosts in the mornings, partly cloudy skies, a cold wind, and some sunshine here in Eureka, Waikato. Meanwhile, the rest of the South Island, up to Wairarapa, is facing more flooding and heavy rain, which has badly damaged farmland, bridges, and roads, and caused landslides, including on State Highways.

Now that it’s mid-July, I’m starting to plan for vegetable and flower seedlings, including watermelon seeds. Timing is important, especially for planting sunflower seeds to mark the five-year anniversary of the serious car accidents at the intersection across from our home and along the State Highway between Morrinsville and Hamilton. The anniversary is on February 1st, 2027. Our closest neighbours, a cousin and her husband, and I are remembering the young mother and her almost-six-month-old baby. We were the first to arrive at the accident site, helped the victims, made sure everyone was safe, and let emergency vehicles like fire engines, ambulances, and police cars get to the site and park next to our fields.

I’m planning to choose a new spot for a sunflower patch near the intersection as a gentle reminder for all drivers: slow down, don’t use your phone while driving, get enough rest before travelling, don’t drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and don’t overtake cars at the intersection.