Spring is Coming

The apple orchard here at The Refuge at Pudding Creek is about 120 years old. The heritage trees are massive and have been neglected by humans for at least a good decade. The apples are sweet anyway and feed all of the creatures around here from human to deer to fox to bear. (I hope that you can come visit in the fall and try some for yourself!) The trees are an intricate mess of overgrown, tangled, and broken branches due to being neglected for so long. We are deep enough into winter that the trees are still dormant and yet close enough to spring that it is time to prune the trees for their health and productivity. The pruning process requires patience and vision into future harvests. If too much is taken off the tree will fail.

The vaccine rollout has turned my mind to re-entering the world again. It feels not dissimilar to the season here in California, still deep in winter yet with a hint that spring will arrive again. It is time to prepare for spring and for the world to shift. It might be the perfect time to think about pruning, letting go, of what does not serve you. Remember to not take off too much! Have confidence in your own beauty and look ahead with patience for future growth. Spring will come again, but it is not here just yet.