April Showers - May Flowers

(Local View from 4'2, Lake County Press, April 25, 2025)

They say that April Showers bring May Flowers. I hope this is true this spring. I have lost track of which part of winter or spring we are in here in the Northland but I do know that I am enjoying wearing a hoodie or no jacket some days. We all get tired of wearing the extra bulk but especially as a very busy and mobile manual wheelchair user I get exhausted by the extra work and heaviness of winter coats.

I am longing for the days of having my Firefly loaded in my van so impromptu and planned road and trail trips can happen. I am tired of being cooped up in my apartment doing nothing but work and meetings. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a good meeting. However, I need time on the trail to let my brain wander and wonder. Jenna turns into a dull girl if she isn’t out in creation, breathing fresh air, and being invigorated with deep conversations with my trail companions. I miss my trail humans and all my furry friends, even the chipmunks who “yell” at me for disturbing their work and fun. One that really doesn’t like me can be found on the Gitchi Gami State Trail just north of Iona’s Beach. I LOVE the tall pines in this section. Just the memory of it brings my heart rate down.

Not only do I hope that April Showers bring May Flowers, I also hope they bring some hard rains to clean off sidewalks and parking lots. The extra sand, grit and salt that humans use for ice and snow removal becomes a nightmare of slipping and sliding when it is dry and the ice has melted. If showers don’t clear it, I hope humans will take care of this.

I was supposed to head into surgery next week but some of my other medical needs have postponed this until July. The upending of all my plans made me feel a bit like the perturbed chipmunk on the trail. I had almost everything worked out and planned. But life happens in these fallen bodies. I am also a firm believer in things happen in a certain time and for a whole host of reasons. So once I gave my rabid squirrel persona a time out, a nap, and a comfort food snack I was glad that life got interrupted. Hindsight is always 20/20 and I wasn’t fully ready for surgery this spring. There is more to do and be before I take a few months off to rehab and recover. While I am very tired of to-do lists I am very excited to see what adventures await in my “being” portion of surgery prep.

I hope there are many times of reconnection with friends I have lost touch with over recent years. When life changes, so does the circle of folks we encounter everyday. I am sure this will happen over good coffee and food at local shops and restaurants as we have so many to choose from on the North Shore. I also have an ever growing pile of books which keep calling to me. And I can’t wait to go check on chippy and catch up on all the winter tales from the forest this winter.

The seasons of life can be tricky and hard as well as deep and beautiful. Expressing gratitude and pacing our energy and time each day can be vital skills. With the help of a friend, I just pulled out my seed packets and I can not wait to plan my accessible raised bed garden for this season. My off-grid oasis is calling my name! What or who is calling yours?