The Wind

The wind. Magical. It guides kites to the stars and blows holes in the clouds. It is the lift the eagles sore on, a free ride for pollen, and natures way of drying out the dampness. It sets the ships a-sail. A gust lifts our hair, our skirts, or moods. It ushers out the old and stuffy and whisks in the fresh and new.

Wind produces energy, carries warnings and confirmations. We can tell rain is on the way with a simple sniff of the breeze. We can tell the forest is full of pines, and that a fire is nearby, information escorted to our senses by the wind. An abundance of knowledge rides the shirttails of natures telegraph system. We need only to pay attention.

“Just follow the wind,” she said. “It tells you everything you need to know.” With a flip of her hand she turned away to continued her beach meander.

This old neighbor surprises me. She is surly and cranky and funny all together. Living on the Island for the past fifty years has made her an expert. She is outdoors every chance she gets; rain boots, hood, gloves, scowl. But, I have learned a lot from her – such as wind blowing from the north causes the big waves in the bay, spaced far apart. The north wind also brings riptides and silt from the river. Wind from the south means to expect plenty of logs on the beach and high tides.

All winter long we bah humbug the wind. “Quit taking out our trees and leaving us without electricity,” we complain. “And stop blowing the covers off the patio furniture and quit pushing the barbeque grill across the deck, and stop blowing over the garbage cans and hiding the lids.” Yes, the wind is frequently a nuisance. Yet it is a spirit in motion, bringing with it news only the wind can bring. We need simply to pay attention. We need only to follow the wind.

Later,

Mary Ann