Thinking of Spring

I know it isn't even winter yet, but this morning finds me thinking of spring and some spring gardening plans. It's another cool morning for sitting on the deck and the low southern sun shines on my face making typing on the Chromebook visually challenging. I don't complain about the bright sun because the sun is my friend. Sometimes it just makes it difficult to see.

Back to spring planning and spring planting.
I'm looking at another area for a long flower bed that I plan to fill with mixed zinnias. 
I recently read a story of a guy that owned a field next to a country highway. He planted the field with zinnias (and maybe some other flowers) and made them available to anybody that wanted freshly cut flowers for their home. There were paths to walk through the field. There were pruning shears to cut flowers, even vases to put them in. People stopped along the highway to cut flowers for themselves or for their friends. Some even left vases for others to use.
I don't have the traffic to really do that kind of thing, but I think I will make my flowers available to my neighbors and friends next year.

That story doesn't really have anything to do with planting another big flower bed in the back yard, other than to say that I'd like more flowers. Although zinnias are annuals, they are so pretty that I just want more of them!
I should probably work on my gardening for food game, but I currently find much more pleasure in the gardening for beauty game and just providing food for the birds, bees, and butterflies.

That is where my morning thoughts are taking me this morning.
I would like to add more perennials into my flower mix. I'm pretty much limited to full-sun flowers and plants because there is very little shade. The east side of the house only gets a few hours of morning sun, but everything else gets far too much sun for even partial-shade plants.

In my head -- it's always summer. 
I might be making plans for spring planting, but I'm really thinking about the summer beauty.
It might be cool on the deck this fall morning, but every once in a while I sit back, close my eyes and feel the sun on my face. With my eyes closed the sun is still so bright that all I can see is the brilliant yellow-red of the inside of my eyelids. 

Warm sun on my face  
Bright red glow in my eyes
Cool air inhaled through the nose
Neighbor's rooster crowing and birds singing
An occasional sip of my Ethiopian cold brew
Peaceful thoughts of summer in my head

Morning meditations should be simple sensory (or at least, sense aware) experiences.
In this moment there is no strife, there is no stress, there is peace.
I am aware that this peace is a privilege that not many will have today.
Work, money, family needs, health, food, shelter -- all things that will rob us of peace -- crowd into our heads and into our days.

I hope you have a moment today when you can pause, lift your face to the sun, breathe deeply for a few breaths, still your mind, slow your heart, and find a moment of peace.

Be well, my friends.

John