Gazing ball grief. April 14, 2008
Posted by ourfriendben in chickens, critters, gardening, wit and wisdom.Tags: gazing balls, goldfinches, optimism, taxes
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As today dawned, our friend Ben was rather despondent. We had finally decided that spring was far enough advanced at our Pennsylvania cottage home, Hawk’s Haven, to set out the garden ornaments this weekend. Then last night it dropped to 32 degrees. The wind came up and knocked over a pedestal in the front yard, smashing a newly set out gazing ball. There are taxes to be done and estimated taxes to be paid, not to mention bills like the astronomical one for our fuel oil, reflecting the rising price of oil even though warmer weather meant the delivery was smaller than before. And on top of everything, our friend Ben is on double deadline and wondering which hat to pull the extra time from.
All this combined into a restless, sleepless night, and the new day wasn’t looking much more promising. But then our friend Ben took our golden retriever Molly outside and started the morning’s round of chores. Turns out the newly planted lettuce, arugula, Swiss chard, and herbs had all survived the drop in temperature without a blink. So had the plants in the greenhouse. The chickens had already laid three beautiful eggs and were ecstatic with the freshly dug dandelions and other treats. The forsythia and daffodils were in bloom, turning the backyard gold to balance the blue of the island bed out front. But that wasn’t the best.
Coming back inside, our friend Ben happened to look out at the birdfeeders. They were packed with brilliant yellow goldfinches, once again in breeding plumage, so many that they looked like Duncraft ads. Cardinals chased each other through the shrubbery; robins strutted on the lawn. One feeder in front had a yellow goldfinch on one side and a bright, rosy pink-red house finch on the other.
Our friend Ben took a deep breath. “Look!” the whole yard was saying. “Life is good!” And yes, the yard is right. What are my little issues to the beauty of the world? What are taxes, bills, smashed gazing balls, and deadlines compared to a happy dog, happy chickens, and a wealth of goldfinches? The bad things will pass; the joy is eternal. Our friend Ben looked up. Suddenly, the sun was shining.
Ack – sorry to hear about your gazing-ball tragedy. But you’re right: Happy critters give us a lot to be thankful for.
Thanks, Nan! I tell you, it’s time I wised up and bought all stainless gazing balls…
So sad about the gazing ball. Isn’t it grand how the critters can yank us right out of our downer moods.
Deb
So true! Nothing like a happy pet to knock some sense back into us, unless, ahem, they’ve just jumped up on the computer keyboard…
Beautifully put. The poetry of spring is music to the ears, magic to the eyes and an updraft to the spirit.
Thanks, Thomas! That, too, is beautifully put!
Oh NO! Poor gazing ball. I had to leave my ornaments out this winter because I lacked storage space for them. I hope the same fate didn’t befall any of them as your gazing ball. I can tell that some of the taller ones are okay.
Downfalls are temporary, but hope springs eternal.
Right you are, Cinj! Hopefully yours will have been well cushioned by all that snow!
Man! That is just what my in-laws were discussing tonight! Worry never helped any situation. Must be a timely message if you’re writing about it as well.
Guess tax time tends to bring out the worrier in all of us, at least if we prepare our own!
Gazing balls seem to only last a year or two here and then, crash, down they go. This past year I thought I was smart and set one so that it couldn’t possible blow over. Instead, a branch came out of the tree above it and smashed it.
Instead of buying new gazing balls, I buy bowling balls at garage sales. There are 5 of them in my garden, they’ve been left out all winter for at least 4 years now and not one is broken. One of them is the most delicious swirled hot pink. Another looks like caramel swirls. As for the heating fuel this year…ouch!
We’ll be not far from you this weekend as we cheer our daughter on at the “take control of the Lehigh River Regatta”. Our daughter is in Easton at Lafayette and this is her first experience at crew. She’s told us the best part is the amazing beauty of going down the river and looking at nature around her. I’ll be sure I have my camera with me
Great idea about the gazing balls, Melanie! I would have never thought of that! And keep an eye peeled for bald eagles this weekend: I once saw one flying so low over the Lehigh River that I was actually looking down on it from the bank. Awesome!!!