We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain
We need to paint with all the colors of the wind
~~ Lyrics to “Colors of the Wind” from Disney’s Pocahontas)
Do you ever think about wind? The other day I was browsing my archives and realized that I often make videos of plants blowing in the wind. I never go out intending to focus on the wind, but the fact that I find it interesting enough to record it makes me think that I should consider why I do that.
On the day I made this first video I’d gone to a local Nature Conservancy plot to look for a specific butterfly. If I’d known it would be this windy, I probably wouldn’t have made the trip over there. But even though there were few butterflies able to navigate the gusts that day, I found myself enjoying the feeling of being buffeted by the strong breezes.
Standing in a wide open space with the wind swirling around me gave me a feeling of peace and freedom, I think. And it reminded me of the strength of the forces of this amazing planet. Obviously wind can do enormous damage, but it can also be a source of renewal, can’t it? So many of us spend far too much time breathing stale indoor air. Being outdoors on a windy day also makes me feel younger somehow; maybe it reminds me of those childhood days when we were allowed to play outside during a heavy rain, giggling as we stomped in the rivers of water that ran down the edges of our sloped road, and feeling the wind as it blew water in our faces. (By the way, when was the last time you stood in the rain on purpose? I have an intense desire to do that right now. Do you think my neighbors would think I’d lost my mind if I sat on my garden swing in the rain? I might have to find out….)
And maybe I’m just being sentimental because I’m approaching one of those birthdays that end in zero, and I’ve been very much preoccupied with feeling older lately. This is the first birthday in my life that has knocked me down a bit, and I can’t wait to get past the day and move on. I know it’s just a number, as they say, but it feels significant this time. I’ve developed a sense of urgency about making sure I do the things that make me happy. No longer will I do things just because other people want me to — this is my life and it’s about time I stopped worrying about the expectations of other people, gosh darn it. 🙂
But I digress. Let’s talk about the wind some more. I found this little clip I made a couple years ago of the breeze billowing the curtains in my sunroom on a spring day. Every time I get to enjoy a day like that in this room, I feel a deep sense of contentment. So grateful to have this space.
And it won’t surprise any of you to find that I made a video of a green darner with its wings braced against the wind.
I hope you get a chance to feel the wind on your wings (or face) soon.
Nature Is My Therapy 
Happy birthday!!! I hope it is wonderful. Thank you for this beautiful post about wind — just catching up here… Cindy 🙂
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I have a love/hate relationship with wind. I love the cooling breezes of summer. I love to watch the wrestling gusts of wind during a rain or snow storm. But it seems to me there is so much more wind than there used to be and it seems to be so much more drying. I worry that these winds are detrimental to the garden.
Walking in the rain is a whole other thing. I love to walk in a rain. I know the neighbors think I am crazy out weeding the garden in a light rain. People that frequent the park know they will see us walking our dog in the rain. Sometimes the wind makes that a challenge.
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Hi Lisa. Hmm, I can’t say that I’ve noticed an increase in winds, but where I live now on the west end of Lake Erie, we do have lots more wind than I’m used to from any other place I’ve lived.
I’m so glad to know that you walk in the rain! I think it’s good for the soul. 🙂
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I loved that Disney song from Pocahontas! I think about wind a lot. We have had noticeably more wind here in recent years, like today when it is straight out of the Antarctic! Brrrr. I hang all my clothes on the outside line to dry and I love the way the sun and wind make them smell. Reminds me of how things smelled when I was a girl and hardly anyone had clothes driers. (50’s)
I totally agree with your sentiment about doing what you want to with your life. I’m so glad I have (mostly) done that. Some family and friends don’t understand but ya gotta do what ya gotta do, or live with regret. Embrace your birthday like a milestone of achievement, preparing you for all that is to come next, which is full of potential! xx
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Oh yes, Ardys, I remember the smell of clothes that have dried outside in the sun and the wind! I should start doing that again too.
I love that song, but it makes me cry everytime I listen to it.
Thanks for the reminder to embrace my age and life experience rather than fight it or deny it. I’ve earned every wrinkle and every gray hair!
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Good post. Go out in the rain! Maybe even on your birthday! When I was a kid I’d wash my hair during a downpour, I loved it so much. It’s been windy here as well; I noticed the hummingbirds still getting sugar water from the swaying feeder.
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Thanks, Jean! Today we had lots of very heavy rain and I stood at my window thinking I should be out there, but it felt too cold and I just couldn’t do it. I think I’ll wait for a gentler rain, LOL.
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Listening to the leaves sing last night. Good.
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Sharon, yes, that’s good too. I’ve always thought the sound of cottonwood leaves blowing in the wind sounds like rain.
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