Hello Friends, Ubus, Family & Accidental Visitors,

OK, We're all seriously thawed out. Anything like me and you have totally forgotten the frozen forest of gray sticks like it never happened (thank goodness we're of short memory) and now there is a wonderful green wall surrounding us.

So, I don't see as far off as I use to could. No biggie, in my face, the green wall breathes and flutters and hosts hordes of tiny things. Everything is moving again. yeah.

Last note I sent out I was talking about the wonder visions of Forsythia & Dogwood. The early and oh! so welcome Spring blooming trees (are there Fall blooming trees? Must be.) have pretty much run their flowering course and gone into full tilt leaf production.

We've had several small blooming seasons on the ground (@ every 2 weeks or so) as those varied tiny growing critters do their seasonal cycles. I love the two-inchers, they come out first.

My Winter Forgetfulness is way OK because I get to remember brand new in Spring (practicing for Alz). I had forgotten how much I love the 1st blooms.

I was sitting on deck a few evenings ago, enjoying a glass o Pinot Noir and watching the birds feast on black oil sunflower seed. (& squirrels - can't they read? - It says Birdseed right on the bag!)

There is definitely a pecking order both within the same family and between different species of flying folk - size is the determining factor on both fronts.

Though some small birds do quite well at intimidation by landing "hard" on the feeding platform and startling any current bigger eaters off the plank. Nerve & imagination gets the job done within the family.

Well, while watching these shenanigans, a sudden soft lovely warm breeze hits my cheek from the north side of the house, it jingles my blue glass quarter-note wind chimes and suddenly I re-remember.....

The smells. Oh yeah. At first, the new world just smelled "green", you know, fresh O2 & liveness. That actual physical envigoration you get from all those oxygenating leaves (that weren't there for months). You can't breathe it in enough.

Then, the faint sweetness of "something blooming" - just starting up. So, with the season change the first sense delighted is sight, then as we go on, the smells.

Last evening I was hit with an invisible wave of Honeysuckle. It turned my head towards the source and look as I did, I could not see any flowers but zowie - it smelled great. In a week or so the entire region will be in HoneySuckle Heaven (or Honeysuckle Hell if you are one of those unfortunates with allergies).

The May breeze carries a gazillion pounds of pollen of all sorts - mostly pine. You can see it as a yellow-greenish haze. It covers our vehicles, houses, decks, cats & dogs. I see green-yellow shafts of early morning sunlight.

This is life itself filling the air at first opportunity and thickly flowing by - a lot like the ocean - so packed full with living support that some eaters just stay put and wave their fronds to gather food.

"The Navaho have that wonderful image of what they call the pollen path. Pollen is the life source, The pollen path is the path to the center. The Navaho say, "Oh, beauty before me, beauty behind me, beauty to the right of me, beauty to the left of me, beauty above me, beauty below me, I’m on the pollen path,"
- Joe Campbell

Also on my deck have come the night critters - coon & possum. The raccoons and us humans share enough common mammal ground that we think we can interpret each other. The possums are a bit more introverted. I put cheap cat food out for them and they do eat it right up.

They also dug up my potted Tulsi sprouts. I was a bit upset but how are they supposed to know the stuff I put on deck for them to dine upon from the stuff I don't want them to gobble?

As far as they know the whole place is a critter cafe'. I cannot blame them for my lack of foresight. I can make chicken-wire hoods for my green babies and that seems to solve everybody's equations.

Current Spring we've had a couple of hot days - or days with a really hot section up here but nothing blastingly uncomfortable. There is a pretty constant relieving breeze and the evenings are Mountain cool (gotta love it).

Ubuntu (a capella choir) has started up formally again. It's a mighty gathering of voices and hearts. I get a big shot of Spirit at the Wednesday meetings and performances and the members are all fine people - like family only better.

The magic of song is indescribable. Ubuntu of the Smoky Mts has it big time.

The Remnants are still playing Classic R&R monthly at Chris & Charlie's and we're also doing quite a bit of community service booking benefits, etc. It's a good thing (link above left)

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OK, It's been a few days since I wrote the above and wowie, Honesuckle Week is solid upon us. I get it from all directions and even if the breeze is still.



Pretty easy to figure how a young man with books and television came to associate floral fragrances with attractive women. I love 'em all (the fragrances - except Bradford Pear and a few Papaya's)

And I get "visions" of the ladies they represent. I won't expand a whole lot but it occurred to me this morning on the drive to work that some part of me thought Gardenias smelled kind of sleazy (in a good way - va va voom) and Honeysuckle smells a bit more on the "Cute" side - Like Shirley McLaine in "Irma La Douce".





It's going to be a great next few weeks

Biggest Love to All!!