"When the April wind wakes the call for the soil, I hold the plough as my only hold upon the earth, and, as I follow through the fresh and fragrant furrow, I am planted with every foot-step, growing, budding, blooming into a spirit of spring."

- Dallas Lore Sharp, 1870-1929

 In the wake of the bombings at the Boston Marathon and the loss of innocent lives, it's especially hard to find meaning in the mundane tasks of our every-day lives. Instinctively perhaps, I have wanted to be outside since the events of April 15. And being outside these past few days, I have paid special attention to observe the resiliency of the natural world -- that despite the long odds of surviving a dark, cold winter, plants and animals revive the landscape from one of dark stillness to verdant splendor. May nature's resiliency be a model for us as we continue on, coming to terms with a different landscape that will be forever changed.

 Mark Smith