On Rootedness and Home

I've always had wings on my feet. Never stayed in one place too long. Always ready and excited for the next adventure. That is, until I moved to Paonia. Now, I mostly think about grand adventures  but I haven't found myself ready to move on from this place. This summer marks the start of my fifth year here.

I was reading in the Horticulture Gardener's Desk Reference last night about phenology, the study of events that occur in regular cycles in the lives of plants and animals. Things like temperature and day length influence who shows up when. You can use these cycles to indicate when conditions are suitable for planting. Blossoming lilacs, unfolding leaves, migratory birds all point to weather conditions which in turn create a subtle "to-do" list for plant people.

I want this knowledge in my body. I want to be able to feel and know on an intuitive level when to dig and plant and sow. Beyond any adventure I can imagine right now this is what I want. This rooted desire is foreign to me and I keep waiting for the urge to uproot. But this is exactly where I want to be.

Photo courtesy of Matthew Rody.