Spring Equinox 2024 is just around the corner. Daylight Savings time is in full gear, spring break is not that far away, and most likely, after another mud season and maybe even another snow storm or two, spring will arrive in Vermont. For a number of years I was first, a contributor (Correspondent) to the Rutland Herald and Times Argus and eventually a Field Editor for a page appearing weekly on Sundays entitled “Active Vermont.” Though challenging to fill an entire page each week, it was a happy time as I not only had the opportunity to write, but I attended events, interviewed athletes, learned from experts and was happy to share it all. (I even had the opportunity of regularly working with the fabulous photographer, Jeb Wallace-Brodeur.) Just now, as I sat down to write a post about Spring in Vermont, I remembered several articles I had written for my page. The one, reprinted below, is one of my favs. Hope you enjoy and hope you make good use of those special days. Might they be gifts from the universe?
This is one of my all time favorite photos, taken in 2010 by my friend Jeb Wallace-Bordeur.
Spring Equinox – A Tease in Vermont
The word equinox is associated with the balance of equal parts day and night. To be more correct, equinox is all about the sun. At the Spring Equinox, March 20, 2011 at 7:21 P.M. EDT and again at the Fall Equinox, September 23, 5:05 A.M. EDT, the tilt of the earth’s axis will be neutral, neither towards nor away from the sun. The sun’s center will be in the same plane as the Equator.
Often celebrated as the “First Day of Spring,” the Spring Equinox becomes a solar festival. Yes, the earth’s axis is balanced, but it is ready to tip towards light. The days are about to lengthen and signs of new life will appear. With the added help of an early Daylight Savings Time (effective this weekend), spirits rise as each day becomes longer and brighter.
Button Bay early 2023
Spring in Vermont, however, is a tease. As we experienced this week, snow may fall heavily – in both quantity and quality. Variable temperatures, mixtures of rain, snow and ice, combine with inevitable thaw to create flood potential in swollen rivers, lakes and brooks. Mud season, our fifth and dirty season, is near.
It is the yin and yang of spring that tease us. Skiers shift gears and enjoy the unique characteristics of spring skiing as winter’s competitive season winds down. Plants that were only dreamed of in January are blooming profusely at home and garden shows. Hockey gear is being replaced by lacrosse equipment; bats and gloves are surfacing as news of spring training hits the papers. Runners, cyclists and paddlers are eager to take their training outdoors.
Yet all is done with an ear tuned to the meteorologist and an eye on the sky for just about anything can happen to upset plans. Perhaps the key to the changing conditions of a Vermont spring lies in flexibility – not muscular and joint flexibility, though that is always useful, but in creatively taking advantage of whatever opportunity each day may offer.
When my children and I moved to Vermont, we had been accustomed to springs marked by March tulips, forsythia and azaleas. By April it was short sleeve weather and by May we were mopping the sweat off our horses and ourselves.
During my first winter here, a coworker offered good advice. “Good days are rare – you know, the day when the sky is bright blue, the sun is shining and the air is crisp and clear. If possible, rearrange your work schedule to take a day off. Then go.”
We put his theory to the test and created one of the singularly memorable days of my kids’ childhood. It was April and, yes, we were supposed to be somewhere else. Though I am usually responsible to a fault, when the day dawned as a perfect day for spring skiing, and because I had worked hard all winter and not skied once with my children, I turned off the alarm clocks, gulped, and never looked back. I packed lunches, fed the animals (I would be mucking stalls after dark that day), grabbed a camera and woke up two surprised children.
The day was more than perfect. It was a memory in the making. By noon we were skiing in Tshirts. My kids were much better skiers, but with the forgiving corn snow, I was able to go with them on trails I had only imagined. We laughed, we played, we threw back our heads on the lifts to catch the glorious rays on our way up then raced down as if the hill belonged to us alone. During a late picnic lunch sprawled on the snow overlooking one of the most beautiful valleys in Vermont, we decided that life did not get much better than that.
Flexibility. We must be able to change our plans – cancel dinner reservations, delay a trip, read a book instead of hiking on a muddy trail, go to the gym instead of running on an icy road, or throw on sneakers instead of snowshoes. The weather rules; it is what it is. Our challenge is to adapt, to look for possibilities and perhaps even see opportunities where none seemed to exist, to be creative. Time is finite. What we have, we must use well.
photo by Jim Heins, 3-17-2024
If the Equinox is about balance, could we honor the coming of spring by seeking balance in our own lives?
Change is one of those Yin/Yang words. Just thinking of change has the power to initiate thoughts of fear, loss or unease. Reframed, the concept might be exciting, rich with opportunity, at the very least different but potentially better. The Yang version might be drive or struggle while the Yin side might be flow and process. In any event, change – something different – is often just around the corner.
November gets a bad rap. (Or if you prefer, it has a bad rep-utation.) Why? Oh, you can just tick the reasons off on all fingers and toes and have some left over – much has to do with the weather, shorter days, colder temps, holiday stress on the rise, yadayadayada. November is a month of contradictions. Here in Vermont, though the trees are bare and there’s often an engulfing bleakness, it’s also a time of growing excitement for winter sports enthusiasts. Goodness, one of our ski areas, Killington, is already open! Ice hockey, ice climbing, winter hiking, snowshoeing, downhill and cross-country skiing, riding (snowboard), fat-biking and even dog-sledding provide loads of outdoor activities in spite of, or because of, the colder temps.
Even the Thanksgiving Day holiday has generated debate. While November is often referred to as a month of remembrance, note this: in some traditions it is the dead (especially those who are reportedly in purgatory) who need our prayers; yet it is on Veteran’s Day that we remember the living who have served our country and need our thanks.
And if you are upset over the first Thanksgiving feast, perhaps focus on the intention might be sharpened. I do not need to belabor this concept. 
Gratitude is an enormous word – especially these days as so many work to support mental well-being.
*Speaking of outside – do we GO outside EVERY day? For some, this is a no-brainer. If we are fortunate enough to live in a place where outdoor space is abundant and welcoming, well, we are fortunate and therefore have no reason not to open that door and venture out. If we work outdoors, even if we need to get to our cars, or have dogs that need to be walked – again, fortunate. But sometimes we do need to pick ourselves up and spend time in outdoor awareness, noticing the terrain, feeling the air, observing the surroundings and listening. One of the advantages (yes, I count this as advantage) of having a dog is that he or she absolutely must go outside. Opening the door and granting pee time is not enough. Our furry friends need exercise so outside it is – rain, snow, sleet, hail – or so the saying goes. Invariably, we find that even the worst weather conditions offer their own benefits.
The month of August falls squarely in the middle of the Five Element cycle*. According to Gail Reichstein, Wood Becomes Water, Chinese Medicine In Everyday Life, “Earth is considered the prime stabilizing force.” Think also of the season, a time that brings spring’s seeds and summer’s growth to fruition, harvest, plenty. Think Mother Earth, nurturing, nourishing, balancing, accumulating, allowing and perhaps even sustaining deeply rooted hope. In today’s world of daily disasters, atrocities and frenetic technology, it is good to step back for a few moments and simply to be.
Recently I have stepped outside my comfort zone to join a book club led by my friend Ana del Rosal (
One of my favorite things to do is practice framing and reframing. I use the latter for problem solving and the former to capture scenes when I choose to take a leisurely walk to simply enjoy the beautiful state in which I live. Yes, ok, I get it. When I actually click the button on my phone to take a picture and not simply file in my memory, yes, ok, I have not turned my cell phone off.
Today was one of those days – serious rain followed by sun then by clouds then by hot sun then by a good drenching while the sun was shining then by thunder and a downpour then by bright sun …..But walk we did. Coming upon a road closure with two Labs on leash was a real find! Even the invasives are gorgeous as they thrive. Driving home from the local market I was forced to stop to capture the view. Letting my girls play in the beaver pond was so breathtaking, I just had to whip out the phone … and you know what followed.
Enjoy. Love from Sophie, Lizzie and me
No, I have nothing profound to say and certainly nothing that can pass as original thinking. But I have been thinking. A lot. Especially as I walk through the woods with scattered attention looking ahead and in the trees (yes in the trees) for a bear sighting (as that’s where they go when they hear my Sophie) and trying not to trip on the tennis ball that my Lizzie continually drops just as I am about to step.
Life happens. (Please feel free to substitute another four-letter word.) It’s been a challenging 6 months for absolutely everyone I know. I won’t go into detail but, yes, I know you and you have had it as well! To give a nod to the glass half full, perhaps the challenges are also helping foster growth. We may need to think about this or smother a groan but if we look at the world around us, we might plug in for a little personal growth as well.
Growth is apparent everywhere in nature as plants, bees, mushrooms, ferns, trees, slugs and of course the wicked woods flies all flourish and thrive! But it is all growth. May we grow as well.
*At this point in my writing, I reached back in my memory for something I had read by Rabbi Harold Kushner along the lines of answering the age-old question how could tragedy happen and where was God? His answer was that God was seen in the human response to tragedy, the love and generosity of those reaching out to help. As I searched for the exact quote I stumbled upon Rabbi Kushner’s obituary. I was stunned to learn that he had passed on April 28, 2023. Since reading “Living a Life That Matters,” (Anchor Books, A Division of Random House, Inc, 2001,2002) a book of his that I treasure, I have been a devoted fan. When a friend gave me a signed copy of one of his books, she proclaimed that I had found “my Rabbi!” May I suggest that you find a book title of his that peaks your interest and spend some reading time with this wonderful man? I share here from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that even one life has breathed easier because you lived – that is to have succeeded.” Oh, Rabbi Kushner, you have succeeded.
Spring would not be spring without a field of dandelions. The scourge of the perfect lawn, this common weed is due attention and respect. Just three weeks ago, this landed on the internet about the Chelsea Flower Show: “Four of its 12 show gardens will feature plants traditionally regarded as weeds, which are now being 
And so, as I have worked with these concepts moving through each day, helping to shape optimism and enthusiasm productively, making decisions that need to be made and observing changes in the outdoors around me, I have made the decision to visit the common dandelion.
But let’s get down with this: ok, perhaps dandelions are viewed with frustration when they overtake an expensively maintained lawn. But they are also viewed with wonder as they collectively blanket a meadow or individually speak of personal worth. A dandelion reminds us of rebirth, growth, that precious and delicate spring green that breaks forth into myriad shades and intensities after the cold winter months, and their own mini portraits of strength and grace.
It’s a wrap. Almost. December 31 to January 1 – the annual and inevitable threshold, the measurement of time witnessed by days, weeks and months throughout an entire year. Sometimes we arrive at this threshold, surprised, as if it is something new to be encountered. Sometimes we anticipate crossing into the new year with a mixture of relief and hope. We are relieved to have the old one done, wrapped up like a regifted holiday present, and hope that life must certainly become easier, or better, or warmer or well fed. 
After listening and reading O’Donohue, I can never again take the word “threshold” lightly. Yes, there is the threshold the carpenter installs in our homes as well as a myriad of objects and structures one must step over to move from one space to another. But, profoundly, we are faced with oh so many thresholds of living, proceeding from one moment to the next, sometimes heralded and sometimes passing in oblivion.
Perhaps you notice a collective change in the approach to the holiday season in recent years. In my circle of family, friends, clients, acquaintances and community, I do. Since March 2020 when Covid became a household word and unwanted guest, the concept of connection topped the list of that which is most important. Distant relatives and friends were able to visit face to face with the click of a mouse. Consumerism took a turn away from impulse buying in the checkout aisle to scrolling and searching in the infinite world of the internet. Instant acquisition governed shopping habits as gift cards became the gift of choice. But then, even as the virus kept us largely out of crowded shopping areas, financial insecurity put the brakes on spending for those thoughtful enough to recognize it.
In my small world, there is suffering this year. I can only offer compassion to those who have lost loved ones (animal and human), to those struggling with health issues, to those facing scarcity. I see in a friend’s face that she is conflicted and by another’s body language that there is sadness. Is it more pronounced in these years of Covid? Are we more vulnerable?
Watching as the world around us transition from season to season circling the year’s clock face, pass through clearly defined phases and then reconnect to begin again is a lesson in change, adaptation, and light. Yes, light. If we look – really look – with our physical eyes, inner sight, mental clarity and creative vision, we learn lessons that support and sustain us as we move forward.
Last weekend here in Vermont we were flooded with gorgeous, brilliant colors topped with a dusting of snow on our highest peaks. This weekend we are Past Peak and Still Beautiful. As I noted this on my walk, I was startled to realize that this is a meaningful concept indeed! How often do we admire an antique, painting, vintage clothing or older friend? How much do we appreciate the athlete who has transitioned from the prime days of record-breaking achievement to an athlete who, with maturity, coaches, writes, and reaches out with shared skills?
Is any of this less? Perhaps the transition itself is the learning curve to land experience as something useful rather than degenerative.
Arthur C. Brooks is a popular author whose latest book is From Strength to Strength, Finding Success, Happiness and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life. I’m taking my time with this one as there are gems on each, page. You might also enjoy this podcast conversation of Brooks with Rich Roll: 
Within the principles of the Five Element Theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine, we have fully entered the time of year associated with the Metal Element and find ourselves involved with the process of refining, honoring wisdom and self-knowledge. (Past Peak but Still Beautiful?) As Gail Reichstein writes in her excellent book, Wood Becomes Water, Chinese Medicine in Everyday Life, the emotion associated with this time of year is grief. “Grief also teaches us what we value in our lives and in the lives of others, giving us the opportunity to redirect our energies toward becoming who we most want to be.”
The energy of late summer slows and steadies. That which was sown in hope matures in abundance. The frantic rush to do it all, the greediness to experience all that the hot summer months have to offer, settles. The fire of summer segues into the deeply grounded fruition of early autumn.
Inevitably, thankfully, the seeds we planted in the spring, have grown to harvest. Roadside stands overflow with vegetables and fruit – literally the fruits of the spring labors. In TCM, late summer corresponds with the element Earth. Common sense agrees with this theory as well. Mother Earth is doing her job nurturing, nourishing and providing. At the same time, Earth represents the richness of the soil, the grounding and stability represented by the modulated energy of these days. As we harvest, we also recognize the continuity that this time signifies, the balanced energy evident in comparison with the often frenetic of previous weeks.
Here in Vermont, fall comes quickly. Already in this final week of August goldenrod flourishes, random leaves turn from green to fall colors of red and orange, and as kids go back to school, yellow school busses proliferate. Soon there will be a dusting of snow on the mountains!
Peace Pilgrim was the first woman to hike the 2050 mile long Appalachian Trail. Her response to personal anguish was to adopt the concept of a pilgrim of peace who joyfully spent her life criss-crossing the country with her message of peace. Her legacy is rich, just as the Earth season and characteristics are deep and abundant and stabilizing. She was just one person but her message continues to produce.
Is there new life to be nurtured, new ideas, new motivation, new creativity? Nourish and nurture are key components of Earth. Have at it!