The Little Things

Edgar and I have been spending hours just sitting outside my apartment.  Spring weather has graced us here in this part of Virginia.  My early blooming Narcissus, Daffodils, and Crocus have gone to seed.  The rather strong winds that have passed through during the nights have stripped the early flowering trees of their finery.  The ground is a carpet of pink and white petals.  This past week the Evergreens on the hillside have cast their golden pollen to the winds.  My black SUV has a yellowish caste.  The pollen is so thick that it actually rolls in mini waves down the asphalt parking lot when pushed by the  easterly gusts.  It also makes both Edgar and I sneeze!  

Edgar's nose is always working, twitching, pointing up into the wind, pressing close to the grass and sidewalk as he reads the news.  The book Jon gave me on deaf dogs speaks of "deafies" other senses becoming  enhanced.  This certainly seems to be the case with Edgar. 

He also sees so many wee things moving in the grass.  Watching him, my attention is drawn to small things I would not have noticed on my own.  Our grass had grown so very tall and heavy that it had become a haven for ticks.  Edgar has Frontline Plus applied monthly.  The ticks should not bite him.  Edgar does not like to step into tall grass.  He would stand on the sidewalk and lift his leg towards the lawn, often resulting in an steam running down my walk.  They finally mowed, though they left the grass still about 5 inches tall.  Our lawns are comprised mainly of a tough native grass with a good deal of white clover mixed in.  The cottontail bunnies come out from their dens at sunset, bouncing across the lawns, racing up the sidewalks, and stopping to much mouthfuls of the sweet clover.  Edgar was sniffing a clover patch yesterday.  I imagine he was filling his damp nostrils with rabbit scent.  I checked the patch he was  interested in and found --two four-leaf clovers!  I picked them, pressed them, kept one and gave the other to a friend who needs a bit of luck.  Today I discovered two more in the same spot.  I left them, hoping they might multiply.

For the moment the only thing blooming in my flower bed is some Dianthus, dainty little five petal flowers of varying reds, pink and white.  The lawn; however, is dotted with the golden sun spots of Dandelions.  I love Dandelions.  When the mower came I said to them "Duck", and they must have, for most of them kept their heads. Today many of those heads have turned to large puffy white balloons.  Gazing down into one of those balloons I found an amazing pattern of tiny white threads radiating from a central solid round orb Each thread was decorated with a line of little crystal-white stars .More lovely than the most intricate lace.- a small world unseen, until one takes the time to see beyond the commonplace.

I realize how fortunate I am to be in this wheelchair.  My world is reduced to what is within the reach of my wheels.  I am closer to these beautiful things we never see from our standing height , our hurrying footsteps.  Edgar led the way.  Today I am not sad that I am unable to be "out and about", for I have been privileged to see small wonders I would otherwise never have known.