Waking With Nature: Is Spring Coming to Winston Woods This March?

            The main words for this March in Winston Woods are muddy and slippery. Slippery is especially appropriate for the paths up the hill, as I can attest. On March 25, I made the foolish decision to climb the hill, despite the fact that I could see that a tree had fallen across the path. I had to climb over the trunk—and to my dismay, discovered another tree down across the path higher up.

            After my triumph of getting to the top and looking down on U.S. 53, it occurred to me that going down would be much more treacherous. If I were to climb over the trunk, there was no way to put my foot down on a safe spot. I decided to check out the other path down. The second path had no trunks to climb over, but it is steeper. And unlike the path I took up, there are few trees beside the path. That meant nothing to grasp onto to ease my way down.

            I started my descent carefully, carrying a big stick for balance. About one-third of the way down, I lost my footing. I slide the rest of the way in mud and leaf mulch on my rear end! My coat and jogging pants were a mess, but I was unharmed. I sat on the cold ground for a few minutes laughing at myself. Then I took my first ever cell-phone selfies. Unfortunately I couldn’t hold the phone far enough away to show the steepness of the hill behind me.

            The light snow fall on the morning of March 25 was not welcomed by many Bolingbrook residents. It made us wonder if spring will ever come. If it snows again this month or next, I recommend reading the poem, “Manna” by Joseph Stroud. You can find it at http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php?date=2010/12/02. It raised my spirits when I thought we had had enough snow for one winter.

            Despite the late dusting of white stuff, Winston Woods shows a few signs that spring has started to push Old Man Winter out. In the grassy area near The Grove at Winston Woods (where weddings and other events are held), I saw a whole flock of robins. Evidently they had migrated together and not yet separated to find their nesting places for the season. I counted fourteen, then noticed there were more across the sidewalk and in the trees, so I quit counting.

            Bits of green are beginning to peek through between fallen leaves. Mosses and fungi are growing, and some of the hardier plants are sprouting and sending their leaves up in search of light. It won’t be long until trees leaf out and grasses and wildflowers bloom. Winston Woods will be awaiting those who can navigate unpaved paths and like to be in the midst of nature, instead of walking a wide bicycle path. Maybe I’ll see you there! Hopefully you won’t find me sitting at the bottom of the hill taking selfies while I get my breath back.