If a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound? Yes, loud and clear! Adios hazy, silent days of winter and bienvenido seniorita primavera. I didn’t know leaves could rustle so loudly but when you are surrounded by more trees than persons, a lot of things that we thought were silent are resonating through our opened windows. Besides my little bears, there are no other little voices (shrills and screams) from the excitement of outdoor play without a jacket. Those first few days of tenderness from the sun just grab hold of you and you wish for it to never let go again.

Fuzzy green patches of moss creep up along the property on almost every surface including shed rooftops, forgotten tree stumps and even cling onto curves of stones. Much swelling of a variety of buds and leaves nesting on limbs basking in the warmth from above…we’re not sure where to put all our feelings but are much obliged to be outdoors to be shrilling for no one to hear but the trees. Ah the great outdoors that cultivates life great and small…a refreshing breath of hope. Swelling with joy to see my baby bear playing with the her broad shouldered-older bears, she is ready for anything they present including pushing her in her coupe while they ride behind down the slightly sloped driveway. After a few trials of toting and tugging her in the manual auto, they cunningly came up with a less laborious way and fun for all, maybe even a little more than her. Not too steep but not to flat the long driveway serves as yet another useful purpose.They say these days fly by, before I know it oldest bear will speak with a squeaky voice that will eventually grow deeper, but he will always be my little bear even if the once plump and desirable flesh from his cheeks stretched into a more chiseled adolescent form. And while each day he grows closer and closer to adulthood, I am having trouble with the inevitable. Fortunately for us Red has come through. Although, our nest is probably about half a century years old; she still has more to abundantly provide for us. We immediately felt her warmth from the curbside and knew we had finally found a gem. Red is what I call her since she is built from redwood. It’s suitable and well-chosen, for she is strong and resilient…qualities we admire and have experienced but she also has a touch of sweetness and is admirably unique in the community. An auspicious house name will invite fortune upon the home dwellers so do put some thought into the practice. And just as the old-growing Sequoia along the Northern Coast of California, Red’s existence speaks for herself, not in words, but rather in a soft-toned voice of patience and endurance. Other superlatives that are imbued with the energy of Red are immense, stately, mysterious, longevity, resistant, regenerative, shielding and powerful. The naming of a home is an old British custom once reserved for grand castles and estates thoughtfully chosen after distinguishing features within the boundaries of the house. For shame, I had prepared my photo adventure in our wild surroundings the day flakes from the sky fell upon us…it broke our week-long spring atmosphere and of course it isn’t here to stay. So while our California dreaming days are about to resume, I hope it’s awhile until the balmy sticky air sets in.For now I’m preparing and nurturing these little darlings,living beings that will stay with us even when my little bears make plans for their adult adventures. I figure in a decade from now when they are off doing multiple degrees (middle bear) or focused on a time-consumed specialized degree (oldest bear) there will only be one middle school bear left in the nest and I have a hunch she will be quite independent by then so I will be left with these to care for.So while we are not here forever, unlike little bear’s plastic play car, or the precious metal adorned around my wrist that some mankind may find after unearthing it thousands of years from now…this is unmistakably magical for us now. This agile play in this efficiently functional and diverse time of year when life is so plentiful is not merely a rote experience, it’s an enduring and innocent interest. I don’t know what the future holds even in our current nest, but I do know this will be a gratifying place for play and adventure and let’s hope many more days of warmth. Any intense noise around your nest leaving you confused why something so loud was so hidden or any spring peepers coming out of hiding?I’d love to hear you spout about it or become inspired for naming your nest.

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