Taking Pause to Watch Hummingbirds

Extra good days for planting for leafy vegetables. Week of 08/02/2009

When summer becomes warm and wet, lush and green and abuzz with insects on the wing, it's hard for me to leave this beautiful reality. Hummingbird taking a momentary break Why would I want to trade any of my time in this soothing natural setting for any part of the unnatural world? I find a harmony that best suits the rhythm for my life right here.

In the winter, the harsh elements of cold and darkness close in around me. I become restless and long to go somewhere else. In the summer season, I feel the instinctive need to stay here and let all the elements of warm summer days comfort and teach me. Teach me how to better cope with the harsh realities of winter.

We live our lives at a pace that is conceived by us and driven by our concept of need. We have forgotten that Mother Earth has already set a pace for our lives in keeping with her best interest. Hummingbird tasting Bee Balm Our unnatural needs have driven us to set a much, much faster pace, which causes friction to the natural balance and tempo. We were intended to be a benefit to the Earth, not a problem.

These inspiring summer days draw me closer to the Earth than any other time of the year. Being a part of what nature intended has given me logical answers and a way to the real truths that are always provided. It's time for us to examine the uneasiness that hides in all our spirits. It's time to confront the denials that cause uneasiness, friction and pain. It's time to realize that Mother Earth would ask us to slow down. The simple act of using our senses can help us pay better attention to what's going on around us. It can be as simple as watching fluffy clouds form in a bright blue sky. Hummingbird & Bee Balm A bird's song can be well worth a moment's pause, as is the scent of a beautiful flower.

Slow down and pause, feel the breeze through your hair and the rain on your face. Taste the unique sweetness of a summer berry ripened by the sun, then ask yourself, what more can I really need? Nature provides me with all I should ever need.

Today the pace I set was slow, or was it? It seemed like I was just relaxing in a lawn chair and letting the world go by around me. The thing was, some of the world was going by me very fast. "Zoom! Whirr, whizz!" Morning Glories These were sounds the hummingbirds made as they buzzed and hummed all around me. The red bee balm is in full bloom, and the little hummers seem to be everywhere. Zip-zing! A blur of wings, twitter and chirp as the hummingbirds sing. How could watching something so fast be so relaxing? I think it's because I know I could never keep up such a pace, so why bother to deny it. Just let it go and enjoy the show—up and down and all around, in and out and round about, here and there and everywhere. Then only to pause in mid air and hover to taste the sweet nectar of summer. Again, nature reminds me how to benefit from the simple act of a reflective pause.

As we go round and round on the carousel of life, know that a part of you is able to pause and look out at what is going by around you.

Add comment

Tracey said,
from Tucson, AZ on August 5, 2009 at 03:34:07 PM

I live in the desert, and we are graced with the beauty of these lovely little birds year round - but at this time of year I watch from inside, it's over 100*f most days. In the winter, we have the ones who live here and the migrating ones, so the feeders and plants are always "humming". They particularly like Mexican Bird-of-paradise and Bougainvillea. They help make my winter, and keep me in touch with the real world in the summer.

Elaine said,
from Hernando, Florida on August 5, 2009 at 03:42:20 PM

we had a very harrowing morning yesterday, a hummingbird came into my husband's wood shop. we wanted to help him get out but couldn't find anything to bring him down to the door level. finally i thought of our pool skimmer and after a few tries he landed on it and we were able to take him outside to one of our fruit trees. he just laid on the skimmer and scared us but we remembered you had a bird come back to life after leaving it alone, about 20 minutes later we looked out and he was gone. He was so beautiful and so scared, we really didn't want him to be hurt.

Colette said,
from La Valle, WIsconsin on August 7, 2009 at 10:20:48 PM

You are my friend Dan and I've learned so much from you. We can be sitting on the porch and you instantly hear a sound of a bird and it doesn't matter it could be morning, noon or night. I'm totally clueless until you sit and make the sound yourself so that I can listen for it and find it. Then, I hear it and it brings a smile to my face. Thank you for the smiles and teaching me about mother nature.

April said,
from Boise, Idaho on August 10, 2009 at 08:35:58 PM

I can't get enough of this column. Please keep going. I so look forward to the stories. thankyou so much!

donna said,
from seattle wa on August 15, 2009 at 11:43:11 AM

thank you for the article on humming birds and morning glories, both are favorites of mine. my humming birds finally did appear when i replanted my fading hanging baskets. not wanting to purchase expensive seedling plants to replace the fading ones, i simply put 2-3 nasturtium seeds in the basket, added powdered fish emulsion and watered well my basket quickly filled in with vigorous new growth. Remember to water daily. Periodically add a bit more fish emulsion and a dose of slow release bloom food to carry your basket over the remaining summer into fall. some of the original plants may benefit from a light sheering and adding a little top soil when planting the nasturtium seed. later you can throw in a couple packets of lobelia seed or what have you for basket variety, remove any plants that don't do well. This basket is indeed a pretty sight and has drawn humming bird friends to dine throughout the day.