Spring can arrive with subtlety on the California Central Coast. Cold frosty nights can be followed by sunny beach days. Hard to know what to expect let alone what to wear: sweater, shorts? And rain is part of our winter weather as well as spring (though of late we’ve not had enough in either season!) But the wildflowers on the hillsides and the California poppies lining the roadsides are a dead giveaway that spring is really here.
One of the pluses, and there are many, of caring for horses, is that seeing to their needs get me outdoors…early. Too much time is spent chained to desks, planted on couches in front of the TV, hunched over in front of our computers, and whisking off here and there in our cars. Just being outside clears the head and works at something deeper inside. Maybe because our species began living outside, it refreshes us to be there. I’d like to say that I hop out of bed each day enthralled with the prospect of what lies ahead, but that’s not true. Barn chores await and all the stresses that modern living can bestow. But what is true is if I remember to breathe and glance up while I’m filling and hauling buckets and flakes of hay I can see the the shadows disappearing as the sun rises with its unique majestic glow. It always surprises me, gives me energy and at least a smidgeon of hope for getting on with my day.
Whether you celebrate Easter, Passover, or just the wonder of nature this spring, spend some time outdoors It will help.