LIFE IN A RIVER VALLEY

Those of you living in North Central Washington have a pretty good idea of the diverse conditions in our immediate surroundings. This part of the planet is referred to as "semi-arid desert", and the fact is that without the abundance of the Columbia and Wenatchee rivers, there would be no agriculture or (perish the thought!) dahlias! As I celebrate the realization that spring might (finally!) be here, I am looking south and west, out my back window. I see something that just tickles me every year - the soft greening of the foothills, resembling the velvet curtains that Scarlet O'Hara tore down to make her gown in Gone With the Wind. So pretty and so enticing.....Schoolkids look forward to hiking the shrub steppe that is characterized by the low-growing sagebrush, Indian paintbrush and balsam root. These, along with the rocks, sand, grasses, and wildflowers, are the threads that constitute the carpet that I see on this sunny April morning.

It has been a busy week, but oh, such a good one. I think there are times in some peoples' lives when they feel like they are "in the zone...." These times are ones when so many things are going right, when you are being gifted every day, even if in small ways....times when every morning heralds a new adventure, almost as though you are engaged in the exploration of a new world. When you are "in the zone," you find yourself with so much more to give to those around you, and it is very important to get out there and find where you can improve your world. As a school counselor, I've found the metaphor of a bucket to be very powerful. Everyone has a bucket that represents their lives - if our bucket is empty, we have little to give. If our bucket is full, we have a bounty that can be shared with others. When we know that our bucket is nearly empty, we have to force ourselves out of our comfort zone and reach out, even if it means scraping the very bottom. The more we give, the more we get back, creating the potential that our bucket will never be empty again. Things like a perfect spring morning, the smell of orange blossoms, the purr and push of a kitten, a good night's sleep, the buds on the dogwoods, the blooms of primroses, pansies, narcissus, tulip, daffodils, hyacinth, and crocus, and for dahlia growers, a tuber with a great eye! These are all things that we can drink in with all of our senses, covering the bottom and sides of our buckets, causing us to feel wealthy enough to share with others.

The Mighty Columbia and the Raging Wenatchee rivers are our lifeblood here in NCW, and there is no time better than now to renew your spirit and to be open to that which revitalizes us. Welcome to springtime in the valley.....How will you fill your bucket today?