On Staying Home, or Bird-Watching in the Pandemic
If you had told me prior to 2020 that I would be required to stay at home for fifty straight days, I would have thought that would be impossibly difficult. But to my surprise, when I was really shipwrecked, I found everything I needed—birds to watch, blossoms unfurling, cherries ripening, snails crawling, books to read-aloud, conversations with my fellow castaways, bread to bake. We never made it around to crowning a king or queen, but I’m sure we could have.
Bluebells
As the winter months inched toward spring, I noticed the people around me keeping time with the season by the flowers that slowly appeared, and they taught me to do the same. In February I saw my first snowdrop. By March the crocuses were popping up all golden and purple. The daffodils arrived in April, and the golden rapeseed fields were glowing in the sun by May. June brought buttercups and wild garlic, along with primroses in the hedges. I became so in tune with the rhythm of the flowers during my three years in North Yorkshire. But somehow, during that first spring, I missed out on hearing about the bluebells.
My Canterbury Tales
My own personal Canterbury tales don’t include thirty-one pilgrims, and my goal wasn’t the shrine of Thomas Becket, though I did attend an Evensong service at the cathedral and walk by the site of his murder, but for the three years I lived in France I made my own yearly pilgrimage to Canterbury. It became the last stop before my family and I took the ferry from Dover back across the channel, and I made so many memories walking the ancient streets amidst centuries’ old buildings.
A Robin in Lockdown
No one could describe the European robin better than the woman who gave the world the personable robin within the pages of The Secret Garden. I recently discovered this little booklet Burnett wrote in answer to a letter asking if the robin in her novel was real. The short answer was yes! And during the uncertain days of April 2020, I had a robin, too.
Resurrection Bay Cruise
Even with the rainy weather and the change of plans, we see a lot of wildlife. The full glory of the stunning scenery surrounding Resurrection Bay is hidden from us by the cloud cover, but the glimpses we do get are unforgettable.
Seacombe Sands in Devonshire
In September 2019 my family and I camped at a yurt in South Devon, which put us a short distance from a secluded beach called Seacombe Sands or Gara Rock Beach. I was blown away by the view of bright blue water and rocky beach when we parked the car and walked to the path beside Gara Rock Hotel. It was completely stunning.
Cherry Blossoms at Parc de Sceaux
If you take the RER B just south of Paris in the month of April, you’ll discover the most amazing grove of cherry trees in Parc de Sceaux, planted in perfectly-formed French straight lines.