Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography
sharing my thoughts through words and images
Seasonal Rhythms
“Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade.” – Charles Dickens, Great Expectations.
As I take my daily walks on the Vermont gravel roads that define my route, I purposely try to plan my direction of travel to take advantage of the sun. I relish in the warmth that the spring sun generates, and cringe when I hit a shaded, tree-lined stretch of road. I love that I do not have to pile on layers of clothing just to take a stroll! Of course, there is the mud to navigate. 😉
With the change of the season this year from winter to spring, I’ve been reflecting on how my life has transformed in the past 20 – 30 years. The nucleus of my life used to change with each season. When you’re work is driven by and dependent on the weather, there’s a certain reverence for the beginning of each season. I used to design and install gardens. Each season brought new goals and priorities and gave structure to my life. I loved the diversity these seasonal rhythms brought to my existence. It energized me. Rather than enter winter each year with a sense of dread, I looked forward to this seasonal break from hard work and long hours. Winter was a time to relax, plan and prepare for spring.
When I stopped landscape gardening, the seasonal pattern of change I loved was disrupted. I adapted to that change by embracing the patterns of life that come from raising children. These were seasonal in nature as well and just as rewarding – school year activities, extended summer vacation, seasonal sports and activities, vegetable gardening and harvesting, maple sugaring.
For a few years, I misplaced the thrill that comes with the changing seasons. I was traveling long distances to work, had given up gardening for lack of time and energy, the kids were out of school and on their own and, gradually, I realized I had nothing clearly marking a distinction between the seasons. I lost the treasured yearly rhythms I had become accustomed to throughout my adulthood. I enjoyed that quarterly variation in my routine and the energy that it provided me.
When I decided on a lifestyle change and embraced workamping, I think I was subconsciously seeking to bring the excitement of seasonal rhythms back in my life. Workampers are constantly on the move depending on the season – where we work in the summer, where we choose to spend the winter, and what to do during the transition between those two seasons. My husband and I are not full-time RVers yet, so our workamping seasonal rhythms are not yet totally flushed out. We are slowly but steadily making progress towards this end.
As this long, challenging winter comes to a close, I am once again awakening and feeling the renewed energy and excitement that comes with the changing seasons. I’m enthusiastic about returning to Acadia National Park in April for the season, and all the organization that accompanies this move. Life is good!
I thought I’d share some of my favorite images from this winter and early spring in Vermont. Enjoy! While the snow is beautiful, I’m eager to be heading back to Mount Desert Island to greet the unfolding of spring in this beautiful habitat.
Lake Champlain along the Burlington Waterfront
March Full Moon on “Flint Hill”
Daily Walks on Roads and Snowmobile Trails
Lynn Amber - Travel & Photography 