Celebrate

A Birthday and Earth Day: Living in Accordance with Nature

62 Comments

As longtime readers might recall, April 22 is a special day for our family. It is the birthday of Shannon, our youngest daughter. How long ago it seems when she first came into this world, and how thrilled we were to greet her. I remember her little baby body and face, immediately so dear to both Clif and me. (We felt exactly the same way about our eldest daughter Dee when she was born.) So a very happy birthday to you, Shannon. Even though it’s a weekday, I hope you slide in some kind of special treat.

Today is also Earth Day, its 55th anniversary. With another administration, this might have been a time of great celebration, a time to honor and love this beautiful planet that gives us life.  However, I have not heard that the Trump Administration has anything special planned for Earth Day’s 55th anniversary. (Unless of course,  you count trying to roll back environmental protections as a hateful kind of reverse celebration.) Gone are the days when both Democrats and Republicans worked together to create the first Earth Day, which in turn gave rise to the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and other environmental protections.

While cities, especially, benefited from the Clean Air Act, the whole country benefited from the Clean Water Act. I am old enough to remember when the rivers in Maine were a polluted mess, seemingly dead zones that most folks avoided. In central Maine, the Kennebec River ran dark and dirty, winding through Waterville and Augusta as it made its way to the ocean. I don’t recall ever seeing a bird on the river. Now, the Kennebec is filled with life from both within and without. Sturgeons, that prehistoric-looking fish, leap and splash in the waters. Bald Eagles and Osprey have made their homes by the river, and you can hear their calls as they talk to each other and hunt for food. (I was an adult when I saw my first Bald Eagle. Now they are common in central Maine.)

At our home on the edge of the woods, we do our best to live, as the Daily Stoic put it, “in accordance with nature.” The lawn is left to its own devices, our philosophy being if it’s green, it’s good.  My beds are nourished with compost and organic fertilizers, and I have never used pesticides on any of my plants. This means, of course, that my gardens are far from perfect looking. Insects and other creatures will nibble, and by August my hostas look like green lace.

Never mind. The dark mysterious woods that abut our yard have so much life that flutters, jumps, and creeps. What pleasure it gives us to be part of this, to watch baby chipmunks make their first cautious forays out of their burrow; to watch the various fledglings—nuthatches, cardinals, and chickadees—as they pester their parents for food. We smile at the little leopard frog that has taken up residence in our garden fountain.

In the summer, on the patio at night, we listen to barred owls hoot to each other. Bats fly in a swish over our roof and disappear into the woods. From the nearby Narrows Pond, we can hear the lonesome cry of loons: “Where are you? Where are you?”

We are right here, along with all the other creatures who call this place home. And here we will stay as long as we can.

******************************************************************

Listening

Songs for Earth Day
(And, yes, the songs were chosen with diversity in mind.)

Paradise by John Prine

Wake up America by MIley Cyrus

Burn On by Randy Newman

Go to the Woods by Dar Williams

And last, but certainly not least, the great Marvin Gaye’s Mercy Mercy Me.

 

62 thoughts on “A Birthday and Earth Day: Living in Accordance with Nature”

  2. Definitely a downer of an Earth Day 🌎. Thanks for sharing about your little corner of it. I learned how to do a Barred Owl call at church last week!

  3. Happy Birthday, Shannon (lovely Irish name!). April 22 was the birthday of my college roommate, so I always remember she was an Earth Day baby. What a comfy grouping in your back yard, and I love those cheery yellow flowers!

  4. A lovely, sad, joyful post. So much truth here!

    I imagine part of our problem now is that so many were not alive to see the mess we were in back in the day. We tend to use our childhoods as the baseline.

    1. Many thanks, Michael. Good point about many were not alive to see the mess we were in back in the day. For lots of folks in central Maine, it’s normal to see eagles fly by the river and sturgeon jump.

  6. Beautiful post. You and Clif make a difference in so many ways. Just before I read your post I shot off messages to my senators and congressman, basically about the chaos and horror we are experiencing in this country right now, so maybe that was my tiny contribution today. Happy Earth Day!

  7. I am not sure what planet I’ve been living on but I had to research Earth Day. IT completely passed me by. Plus it wasn’t even mentioned on the the News unless I missed it buried in Trump updates, news that only biological women are women (who knew?) and the death of the Pope.

    IT’s a great idea to help reajust focus on the environment. I am lucky to live in a natural park

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_Alentejo_and_Vicentine_Coast_Natural_Park

    When you live amid nature (as you also do) it is the most incredible experience and worth preserving.

    I am a great believer in renewable energy. This is an interesting article

    https://vitalsigns.edf.org/story/these-10-countries-are-winning-global-clean-energy-race-and-us-not-one-them

    Your patio is amazing and I can imagine observing and listening to the owls and other critters.

  8. Thanks Mom!! 💕🎂 I feel like I’ve been celebrating for a couple weeks now! 😝Michael is about to take me to get fried clams and eat them overlooking Quincy Bay. Might even get an ice cream sundae for dessert. Not a bad way to end a birthday!

  9. Happy Birthday Shannon! Laurie, I am listening to your music selections now and enjoying them very much. I remember that John Prine song well.

  10. Logically life has both its good and bad parts – love today’s good parts in yours! First, happy birthday to Shannon – may the year to come be much more good than . . . ! Secondly your garden seems a true natural delight . . . and third but not last – do not know any of the songs you have suggested for Earth Day BUT, cherishing the latter shall not only listen but repost for friends to have the chance for thoughts they may not have also . . . thanks!

  11. Thank you for your thoughtful and inclusive post in honor of Earth Day, Laurie. We are of one mind when it comes to our obligation to cherish and support all life forms as much as we can.

  14. A wonderfully thoughtful post! I too use no pesticides, welcome most plants that choose to grow in my garden and enjoy the bounty of life that a tangly garden brings with it.

    1. Thanks, Anne. Not surprised to read that “you live in accordance with nature.” On your blog, you have shown time and time again how much you love nature.

  15. I really enjoyed reading this post! Happy belated birthday to your youngest daughter!

    Your home on the edge of the woods look absolutely wonderful. I live in an area surrounded with deep forests, even if I myself find myself living in a small town at the moment. When it is practically possible with work and my daughter’s school I would love to move to a small house in the countryside (preferably staying int he region where I live now). I don’t know if you watch Netflix? There’s a series there now called “The glass dome” which is filmed in my region and this is pretty much what it looks like around me.

    Thanks for a great post!

    1. Thanks, Maria. We are blessed to live on the edge of the beautiful woods.

      We do watch Netflix, and as a matter of fact, The Glass Dome is on our watch list. Now that I know it was filmed in your region, I am especially keen to see it.

  18. Happy Birthday to Shannon and Happy Earth Day 2025. I think there are many of us who celebrate Earth Day every day and try to live with nature. I just read that the hummingbirds have hit the Maine border so out comes the feeder today. Happy Wednesday, Laurie.

    1. Thanks, Judy! Yes, many do. Unfortunately, the leaders and the companies that could do something are ruled by greed.

      Thanks for the heads-up about hummingbirds. We will get our feeder out, washed, and set up.

  19. I was listening to my Marvin Gaye album the other day and thinking how relevant the lyrics still are today.

    We have had success with hostas in pots with some copper tape around the outer rim. Stood away from walls and other plants they have mostly done well. Worth a try?

  20. Wishing Shannon a very Happy Birthday (albeit a little belatedly). I very much hope you’ll have a chance to celebrate it with her soon! It’s also lovely to see Marvin Gaye in your playlist – such a talented artist.

  21. I’m glad you mentioned the music in your comment, Laurie. I haven’t heard ‘Paradise’ in a long time, and I love the way John Prine writes. Interestingly, Miley Cyrus too, although I hadn’t heard that song. And Marvin Gaye…well, of course. Great selections.

    1. Oh, thanks! I wanted to post a variety of music about the environment, and I think I succeeded. I love that John Prine song, and, yes, what a writer he was.

  23. Again, I must say that I love how your celebrate birthdays with exuberance and style!

    Your eclectic Earth Day playlist is fabulous: Miley Cyrus along with Marvin Gaye … excellent stuff!

    Marvelling at the contrast of your porch right now vs the summer – the thought never ceases to amaze me!

    1. Thanks, Ju-Lyn. I’m glad you enjoyed the playlist. When I put it together, I wanted a diverse range of singers, and I think I achieved this.

      In Maine, the seasons are distinct from each other. I love this, but I can see how it might seem strange to folks who don’t live in such an extreme climate.

      1. I think I would love distinct seasons. I certainly would welcome some cool, right about now. But I do remember how long it took us to get dressed to leave the house during the winter months in London. And the many different sets of clothes (although I do love boots and coats) one would have to have.

  25. Well said, Laurie. Earth Day needs to be celebrated, particularly now in these dark, dark days. And your home at the edge of the woods seems like a perfect place to do just that…idyllic!

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  30. I love hearing about the residents in your nearby woods. It sounds magical and mysterious. I had no idea that your waterways were that polluted in the day. It’s beyond me how anyone will benefit by reversing these improvements.

    Your patio is a delight.

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