Peace and Quiet?

This morning the sun was so beautiful that I decided to eat my breakfast sitting on the back steps outside our dining room. It was a gorgeous morning and I enjoyed listening to the birds singing in our tree as I ate. Then I began to tune in to other sounds around me. There were plenty of sounds to hear – goldfinch, an orchard sprayer, a 4-wheeler, some whistling and talking, ladders clacking, robins chirping, cat feet padding through the grass, the wind chime, a car door slamming, someone calling out to someone at a distance,  a helicopter and small plane engine somewhere above, a car starting and rumbling down a drive, the dragging and thumping of bins being moved, bees humming in the grass, the whir of hummingbird wings, the sound of quail, mourning doves and a raven in the distance, a dog barking and someone laughing. When my breakfast was eaten I came back indoors to find peace and quiet.

This week the bee hives were brought to the orchards to pollinate the blossoms that were just emerging on the pear trees. I love hearing the buzz the bees make as they go about their work. It feels like Spring is really beginning when they arrive. The pear trees put out their blossoms first; the leaves come second. So the first sign of life in a pear orchard is a cloud of lacy white covering the trees. Trying to capture the feel of an orchard filled with the misty white blossoms is quite a challenge! Frost fans ran for several nights when the blossoms were forming, to keep them from freezing.

It has been nine weeks since my surgery: I am healing well and thankful. I must admit that the healing has been about as hard as going through surgery, in a different way. It develops patience to be limited in what I can do by lack of energy. The energy is increasing along with the healing, but, impatiently, I would like it to happen a lot faster – especially now that the Spring weather is here. I keep my mind busy by listening to audiobooks and podcasts. This week I enjoyed listening to, These High Green Hills, by Jan Karon. I love her style, and, of course Mitford!

Update: The bee man took his hives away this morning. So his hives were in the orchard a little over a week. I saw him preparing to drive away as I went out my door and was able to snap a picture before he was gone.