The first week of February is simply too early.

Buds on trees.  Crocus blades nearly two inches above ground level.  Daffodils pushing hopefully sun-ward.  Tulips rising in anticipation.  Blueberry bush buds, like little flames tipping the ends of the bare branches.  Song bird songs and mourning dove coos… it’s simply too early.

Granted, when there are several days of 60+ degrees, these things are bound to occur.  But dang!  It’s not typical, I say!

Enjoyable, definitely, but it makes me leery for what the consequences might be:   the options seem to fall anywhere along the lines of an extraordinary proliferation of bugs due to the prolonged warmth, or a snap kill-off of trees and early plants due to a harsh return of  winter.  I’ll hope for middle ground.

In the meantime, I took myself right out the door and immensely enjoyed that warm ol’ Kansas sunshine.

A visit to a nearby lake with the dog, then  a meetup with friends at the lake.

Walking around the yard barefoot, giving early test of foot to rock callous as I ambled over to the dead grass.

Oh the feeling cannot be described as I rounded the corner and found the patch of freshly damped bare loam!  A few spots that do not get much sunlight, in a high traffic area.  The result is a finely powdered dirt, newly enriched from a recent soft rain, finely soaked in to leave what felt like milk chocolate for my feet.  It was pure enjoyment.

I don’t know if you’ve heard of the term ‘earthing’.  It’s a movement of sorts, the principles and theories of which I’ve not researched thoroughly.

What I know, for myself, is that there is nothing quite so satisfying as touching Almighty’s creation.

Skin to creation.  Simple pleasures are the best.  🙂