For some, May Day brings Beltane #phenology

Today is May Day. It is also Beltane for Celtic folks. Beltane marks the beginning of Summer for them, which fits nicely with our 80+ temperatures yesterday accompanied by Red Flag fire warnings. The winds are probably still too much for fires to be safely lit, and we've no herds of cattle to keep evil spirits from, so we'll hold off on the bonfires for now. The Son-In-Law and Daughter persons did have a "campfire" of some yule greenery on Saturday, so we'll hope that t'will do.

a fire for Beltane

Photo by J. Harrington

We're two days past April's full moon, the Ojibwe's Iskigamizige-giizis, Maple Sugar Moon, also known as iskigamizige-giizis(oog), broken snowshow moon. May's full moon, Waabigwanii-giizis, Flower Moon, or waabigwani-giizis, blossom moon, will be May 29.

Even a casual glance at the country-side reveals a softening in the appearance of twigs and branches compared to Winter's stark, harsh displays. Leaves will fill out and foliage will fill in this month.

some years we get colorful visitors

Photo by J. Harrington

We've yet to see any "exotics" at the feeders. The purple finches and juncos seem to have moved on. With luck we should soon see a scarlet tanager and some rose-breasted grosbeaks within the next couple of weeks. Later this week we'll get the hummingbird feeder refilled and hung. May in the North Country tends to burst out all over. We wish all a month full of health, joy and Spring's pleasures and treasures.

May Day

By Tess Taylor

They go, the early flags, the gory maples—

so too the daffodils & Lenten roses.

Other petals swirl & nights warm.

Buds thicken and cast shadows:

in a thunderstorm

I almost forget the ice that was.

Narcissi suckle watery paths;

meadows heap up emerald masses.

How green & I want to delight

except this undertow—it pulls so fast

passing before I recognize it—

like souls in Dante who can’t see the present,

white lilacs curdle in pre-summer heat.

The parade I barely noticed was beginning

is already halfway down the street.

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