No, I haven’t in my isolation gone there yet! I am sitting working at my desk (kitchen table) with the doors open listening to the call, the call that tells me spring has arrived. I grab my recorder eager to capture the sound so I can share it here with you:https://suzanneradford.files.wordpress.com/2020/03/cuckoo.mp3
The cuckoo is a solitary bird in nature that calls to mark its territory, or to call for a mate (smiley face). It represents many things across cultures, but to me it represents spring. What are the signs and symbols that you are noticing in your isolation that marks the season’s change?
I was walking in the forest yesterday and I came across a hawthorn bush in full flower. I was drawn to the beauty of the flower and its scent but also because I was curious, you don’t often see this in Southern Portugal unlike the hedgerows of England where I am from. Pedro, fellow forest bathing guide and self-professed ‘plant nerd’ of Peace of Plant says the bushes are discreet most of the year but shine like a snow-covered bush under the oak trees when spring comes.
It took many tries to do them justice but I finally captured the flowers on the hawthorn bush
In folklore the hawthorn represents hope, making my discovery all the more poignant. Nature shows us resilience, renewal and beauty sometimes hidden in surprising places. If we open our senses who knows what we might find…
And if you want to take a moment and reflect on the words of poet William Wordsworth:
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cover image of a cuckoo by freepik.com