We're Here for the Birds
In this weekly blog series, “Life in the time of Covid-19”, I will be sharing a candid view of my family’s journey as we navigate the Covid-19 pandemic.
Spring has finally sprung and the delights of this season were on center stage this week. From playing in fresh sand in the sandbox to engaging in some proper spring cleaning, we’ve embraced being outside.
Our garden box is alive, sprouting left-over onions, parsnips and perennial herbs, and the flower bulbs I planted last fall are starting to bloom (despite the ravenous bunnies *shakes fist*). Nature’s version of therapy is my favorite.
Last week we found out, expectedly, that distance learning would continue in Minnesota through the rest of the school year. With warming temperatures and the emergence of new life, Spring has already seduced Edith and staying in her “school workspace” bedroom has proven to be incredibly difficult. And while I need to remind her to stay on task a bit more, I haven’t forced her back into her cave. I can only hope that the sunshine and flexibility will benefit her in other ways.
Minnesota’s ‘stay-at-home’ order is set to expire May 4th, and there has been a lot of chatter about what happens when we “open up.” We miss our friends and family terribly and I miss those seemingly meaningless everyday conversations with people at the grocery store. No doubt, we’ll start being able to be in smaller groups sooner than later and we can at least get back to light socializing. Until then, random sidewalk visits from friends fill our cup, even at six feet away.
And then there is bird watching... we are here for it. It started with the ducks (heyyyy Rod and Flora!) and now we are plotting on building a backyard bird haven. Just this week, we identified a handful of birds, witnessed a raven-hawk battle, and found out that our duck-duo really digs our backyard oasis. I'd like to personally thank our constantly running sump pump and the micro pond it produces in our backyard.
Therapy comes in all shapes and forms, whether in the shape of a duck or a continuing practice. I hadn't realized until this week how therapeutic photographing the seemingly (and, consequently, sharing) mundane details of our everyday life would be. As things start to change yet again with the next phase of the pandemic, there will no doubt be plenty of things to worry about. Let's hope we can all live in the moment and enjoy what's directly in front of us. It might save our sanity.
