What I Noticed at Hollyhock Hollow

A couple of weeks ago, Theresa and I took a walk along Rarick Road through Hollyhock Hollow. Nothing unusual was planned—just a walk down Rarick Road, because the trails were still to soft and muddy. But as usual, I noticed a few things.

Winter still had a grip on the landscape. Snow lingered along the sides of the road, tucked into the shaded edges, not quite ready to give way. It was a reminder that the season doesn’t just switch—it loosens, slowly.

But right alongside that lingering cold, something else was happening.

Clusters of snowdrops were blooming—small, white, and easy to overlook if you weren’t paying attention. But there they were, pushing up through the cold ground, quietly signaling that spring is about to bust through.

There weren’t many birds. A few here and there, but nothing like the chorus that will come. Still, the plants are beginning to green up, and that shift is noticeable if you take the time to look.

And the Onesquethaw Creek was moving steadily along, rolling its way toward the Hudson River. It didn’t seem concerned about winter holding on or spring pushing in. It was just doing what it does—moving forward.

As I looked back through the photos later, it struck me that what I was really noticing wasn’t just what I was seeing—but how I was seeing it. The overlap. The transition. The quiet movement from one season to the next.

That led me to experiment with something new—a short video set to a song I created called The Stewardship Way.

Maybe the Stewardship Way isn’t something you arrive at all at once.

Maybe it begins by noticing…
that even when winter still lingers, something new is already on its way.

3 thoughts on “What I Noticed at Hollyhock Hollow

  1. Loved the video and the tune…..and yes….stewardship ..like the seasons…does not have to be an all or nothing proposition….as the seasons blend into one another so can stewardships….it means different things to different people….

    1. Gary, I like that comparison to the seasons—that’s a good way to think about it.

      It really isn’t all or nothing. It shifts depending on where you are and what you’re dealing with.

      Appreciate you sharing that.

  2. Loved the video and the tune…..and yes….stewardship ..like the seasons…does not have to be an all or nothing proposition….as the seasons blend into one another so can stewardships….it means different things to different people….

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *