Just like an aged de-hibernating bear emerging from his winterbourne lair, here in Montana, finally, Mother Nature is stretching her Spring-like arms and beginning to awaken from a very, very long winter's nap. Not since 1922 have these parts seen snow of the kind that laced Montana's mountains this past winter, and what a difference just two weeks has made since Kathy and I were last here at Extravaganza Headquarters! Virtually no green was to be seen a fortnight ago, but, as reflected in the attached photos and forever re-restoring our faith in the certain inevitability of it all, Mother Nature has begin to show that her batteries are, indeed, recharged with the emergence of new life in this beautiful ageless land.
Backed by a leaden sky, the first of the above photos shows the bursting buds of one of our backyard trees, a yard which, as shown in the second of these shots, is now graced by my absolute favorite Montana flora--the larch pine. The only deciduous member of the pine tree family, shown are the emerging "leaves" of one of a dozen winter-planted larch that now decorate our back yard--a larch now decked out in her Mother's Day finest--brand new rejuvenated pine needles just poking themselves out from their winter cocoon to bid the welcome to warmer weather and, soon, Montana's historically wettest month--June.
Early this Sunday morning I strolled down to abutting Rock Creek, checking out the scene and the water flow (more on that tomorrow), only to turn around and see a sight seldom seen during the summer months--our Headquarters building, as shown in the attached photo taken through the branches of still naked, yet-to-bud streamside cottonwood trees. And what a beautiful morning it was--cool (but not crisp), wet (but not torrentially) and totally pristine. The surrounding mountains still remain snow laden, but, rather than being blanket-like as it was just a few weeks ago, the mountain snow is now more reflective of icing dripping down a giant bundt cake--and the first of the humming birds are finding their way to our back porch feeder that, just days ago, would have been frozen solid if left out overnight. And, ah, the smells of emerging Spring here, well that is another story that simply begets adequate words. Gee, I wonder why we like it here so much!
Speaking of Mother Nature, a very, very happy Mother's Day to each and every one of you Extravagant Mothers out there!! What you do for and for this world is ever so well reflected in all about us here in the womb of Extravaganzaland--reflections of warmth, love, consistency, harmony and the dna of generations yet to come. As with MN, without you we simply would be nothing--a monogamistic Mars-like human race relegated to caves in which, unlike the now-emerging Montana bear, we would simply repair in abject disrepair. On behalf of your current and ensuing generation(s), thank you for being who you are and for providing meaning, structure and (at times--some might contend, full time) chaos in our otherwise all too organized lives! We are honored to have 14 of you joining us this coming Extravaganza--a number that (pleasantly) increases year after ensuing year.
Symbolic of it all, at dusk last evening, I took one of our house guests down by the river (your Hostess With The Mostess, Kocktail Kathy was then throwing a (what else!) cocktail party bash to raise funds for the Clinton elementary school's soon-to-be new playground) [it was the school's principal, in fact, at my side] to "check things out," and what did we see, aside from a quick-to-be raging Rock Creek, that is, but a single mayfly adult emerging from the waters and rising like a laboring helicopter (the mayfly navigates with its two-tailed body positioned vertically, not SST-like horizontally) as it sought out his or her mate to do just that and, like the emerging needles from our backyard larch pine, to lay the foundation for it all to start all over again. Equally symbolic was the single bighorn sheep that, yesterday afternoon, was seen grazing along side Rock Creek Road mid-molt of its thicker winter coat and serving as precursor of the herd soon to follow her (yes, a ewe) in the days ahead, reminding us all that we, indeed, live in a matriarcracy and are all better off for it!
Happy Mother's Day all from Mother Nature's scene of it all!
Rock Creek Ron
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