Spring Means New Beginnings

 

On this day, I simply want to BE - to soak up some sun and enjoy the spectacular views. Sitting on a grassy bluff surrounded by towering madrone and Douglas fir trees, I gaze across the vast expanse of sand exposed by the receding tide. Beyond the sands lay the waters of Georgia Strait, snow-capped mountains of mainland British Columbia forming a dramatic backdrop. Closing my eyes briefly, I hear the soft swish of the wind in the trees and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. We have come here for rest and relaxation - what a day to be alive!

 

We have come through the long season of darkness. Some of us may carry heavy burdens and feel no relief with this passage of time. But we are still here as the days lengthen and the earth warms.

As Easter people, we have passed through a time of sadness and grief and come forward into the light of new hope. Once again, we witness a season of newness and rebirth.

In the woods blooms appear on Indian plum, salmonberry, red flowering current and Oregon grape, while redwood sorrel, trillium, and delicate Pacific bleeding heart brighten the forest floor.

 

 

In our yards forsythia, dogwood, rhododendron, bluebells, tulips, and many others burst forth in various colors and scents.

 

We drift off to sleep with the peeping of frogs and awake to the singing of birds, which are already nesting and caring for young; young fawns will soon be seen with their cautious mothers.

 

Dusty, bug-gnawed leaves will be seen later, but now all new growth appears shiny-bright and squeaky-clean.

 

We anticipate all that is new: a landscape full of surprises, a first-born child, a joining of lives in marriage.  Still to come are graduations, anniversaries, and celebrations we’ve yet to plan. Rejoice in this, for as spring progresses with wave after wave of sprouting, unfolding, and blooming we are led toward the full-fledged burgeoning of summer. After our dark, cool, wet winters who does not welcome that?

It is a time to savor and enjoy. There is much to be learned from the never-ending cycle of seasons, for we can – each of us – begin anew; we can be refreshed, changed, improved.

 

If there are things undone, we can do them. If we owe an apology or need to make amends, we can do that. If we are weary, we can rest. We can get our affairs in order; if necessary, we can say our good-byes. We can change our household, our appearance, our habits, our state of mind, our outlook or attitude. We can change our actions, or finally act at all. We can accept that challenge, take on that task, meet that new person, or send that letter. We can make that call, visit that friend, and hold that hand. This is a time of renewal and second chances - thank GOD we have those.

 

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing!

Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Isaiah 43:18-19

 

Whatizzit? 3 Answer

Peg was correct - this large lower limb of a huge Douglas fir is covered with a number of different types of lichens. I thought the massive clump at the very end of the branch was particularly impressive!

 

Lichens are a unique type of plant, made up of both algae and fungi but resembling neither of those specific individuals. In the Pacific Northwest they are a valuable part of the ecosystem, absorbing water, supplying nutrients to the soil and food for countless animals. They also are a well-known indicator of air quality.

 

This photograph was taken on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. For more information on lichens there, please click HERE.

Beach Exploration: Sea Stars

“There is nothing very 'normal' about nature.”

Loren Eiseley

Not everyone knows what a sea star is, although everyone knows about starfish. Today's biologists and naturalists prefer the name sea star because these creatures are definitely not fish. Whatever you choose to call them, they are truly incredible beings.

These echinoderms ("spiny-skins") are finely adapted and perfectly structured to live where they do. Like snails and many other marine invertebrates, all sea stars begin life as tiny bits of free-swimming zooplankton which in no way resemble the adults. As they grow and mature, their bodies eventually take on the shape of their species and they migrate to the ocean floor where they spend the rest of their days.

Occurring in a variety of sizes and colors, they are all built similarly; instead of bones, their internal skeleton is made up of hundreds of thousands to millions of small calcium carbonate bits infused with tissue that are made into a living 3-dimensional box which forms the body of the sea star. These hard bone-like pieces (ossicles) often project through their skin forming the "spiny" part of their bodies. Because of this stiff internal structure, most are not terribly flexible, although they can slooowly bend and move enough to change position and get around as much as they usually need to. They definitely operate on "sea star time".

With their arms or rays extending out from a central disc, most have a body plan based on the number 5. We usually picture sea stars as having 5 arms, but some have 6, 10, or more.

Having an amazing ability to regenerate, if any of their arms are lost, they are able to grow them back - as long as at least a part of the central disc is intact. Because of this ability, they are of great interest to researchers within the medical community. Wouldn't it be wonderful if a human could grow back a missing limb?

On the underside of a sea star, long rows of tube feet extend down the length of each arm. They have literally thousands of these small suction cups and are able to control each and every one of them!

Basically, they use a rather sophisticated water hydraulic system which enables them to pump water into and out of each of these "feet" to extend and retract them as they wish.

This system serves them well, as they are able to open clams and other prey much easier than we could using only our bare hands. They don't need much of an opening for lunch, either. A gap of a few millimeters is all that's needed for them to extend their soft, bag-like stomach into the succulent clam and digest it.

The largest - and fastest-moving - species in the world occurs here in the Pacific Northwest. The Sunflower sea star can eventually reach 39 inches across and have 24 or so arms!

First, it develops five arms, adds one more directly opposite those, and then continues to add arms in sets of two, one on either side of the sixth arm, until they've reached their final number.

Because their ossicles are further apart, their bodies are relatively soft and flexible. Voracious carnivores, Sunflower sea stars devour clams, snails, abalone, sea cucumbers and even other sea stars. They are so very vicious, in fact, that other sea life scatters in all directions at their approach.

During one of our beach explorations, we tried an experiment by putting a cockle near a Sunflower star in shallow water. Nothing happened while we watched, but usually the cockle will "pole vault" away quickly, using its long, flexible foot to propel it.

Most of us only see sea stars in marine aquaria or on rocky shores during low tides.

It has recently been discovered that these remarkable creatures are able to withstand the heat and drying effects of  low tides by "bulking up" with cold water when the tides are high. Then, if they are left high and dry during a low tide, they are fairly well-prepared. It appears this only works when the water is colder than the air, however, so how well this strategy will continue to work in our ever-warming world is anyone's guess. It is more important than ever to remember that everything is connected...

"Tug on anything at all and you'll find it connected

to everything else in the universe."

John Muir

Interesting in learning more about sea stars?
Check these out:

http://www.seastarsofthepacificnorthwest.info/index.html

http://echinoblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/starfish-bones-understanding-evolution.html

Remembrance

Give sorrow words;
the grief that does not speak
Whispers the o’er-fraught heart
and bids it break.

William Shakespeare

The first time I noticed was probably the first year it was done, although I can't be sure about that. We had already walked most of the route when we stopped at a fenced observation point to view a lovely waterfall surging rapidly through a narrow, sheer-walled chasm. We stood there for some time, as we always do, soaking in the breath-taking beauty. Turning to head back up the few rock steps to the trail, something caught my eye. There, at the base of a rocky outcrop at the very back of this narrow viewing spot, were some wilted flowers and several votive candles. These had been placed there recently; we wondered and talked about it briefly on our way back to the car.

On Vancouver Island, British Columbia, this short hike, around the Little Qualicum River and Falls is one of our favorites. Because we are there off-season, there are very few others on the trail and we are able to experience the peace and quiet of the place mostly by ourselves. The following year, in that very same spot, we again found a candle and some dead flowers. Again, I wondered about this and thought it must be a small memorial of some sort.

Another year, the memorial had shifted and changed. Instead of candles and flowers in an out-of-the-way place, a lovely pot full of spring flowers had been set on a large, moss-covered rock - just outside the fence - on the very edge of the gorge. This time it could not be missed as the brilliant purple crocus, primrose, hyacinth, and bright yellow daffodils stood out against the dark forest background. The pot sported a bright yellow wrap and with tulip buds not yet open, was bound to last for some time yet. The sight of it touched my heart and caused me, once more, to think of loss and what a deceased person means to those left behind.

Several more years passed and we either did not take that hike, or I forgot to look, and the memory of that spot faded. This year, with the death of my sister still fresh on my mind, I did look. At first I saw no sign, but then, on the same moss-covered rock where the pot had been were some carnation stems with blooms long dead and faded. More lay strewn on the ground below. I have no idea what the story behind this particular yearly ritual is, but it is obvious that someone was much cared for, is still missed and remembered.

Memorial days, when the graves of heroes were decorated with flowers and garlands, are ancient customs originating in Greece 2,500 years ago. During our Civil War, both the United States and the Confederate States of America had Memorial days. By the late 1800s, many communities celebrated this day and, after World War I, observances began to honor those who had died in all of America's wars. Originally known as Decoration Day, it became an official federal holiday in 1971 and now falls on the last Monday of May. Officially, this day honors men and women who died while serving in the American military. Many Americans still observe the day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings, and participating in parades.

Memorials, however, as that special little spot in the forest shows, go beyond those in the military. Many of us have lost dear friends and/or family members this year. Death, as we know, is a part of living. That knowledge, and the ache inside, does not make it any easier for those of us left behind. But we also know that life does go on; hope springs eternal. REMEMBER - for it is cleansing and healing to do so.

 What we have once enjoyed we can never lose.

All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.

~ Helen Keller

...took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 1 Corinthians 11:23-25