A Shock of Green

Early in the morning, before anyone else is up in the house save for me and my tiny Yorkie, I stand at the window in the den and look out over the cul de sac. Lawns and trees are greening up and the most daring among us (read: me) have planted annuals in pots. The sky is the pale blue of early morning with a wash of light cloud creating the kind of light that is flattering to the colours of early morning.

At the end of the street there’s a fence in need of repair and beyond that a row of houses on Qu’Appelle Boulevard. Ours is an established neighbourhood and one blessing of such is a good supply of mature vegetation you don’t get in newer developments. This morning the light is just so and, though I must have noticed it before, I’m captivated by the green on one tree that stands out from the rest. How to describe it? Lime green? Perhaps Chartreuse? That’s closer. The best description I can come up with is “a shock of green”.

I stand at the window for a while with my pup in my arms gazing and the glory of such a green, soaking it in like an early morning gift. Once upon a time I didn’t appreciate the colour green. If asked, I’d tell you I didn’t like it at all. But now, in these latter years I’ve come to appreciate the turning of the seasons and changing hues of the colour we call green.

It’s the colour of life. A shade of promise. There are still certain tones of green that, to my eye at least, are nothing but unpleasant. If I investigated, I’d probably find they are unnatural man-made colours. Ah, but a natural green hue and, this morning, the shock of green that captivated my attention for a time, there’s nothing that compares.

(Note. The photo that accompanies this post was taken a few years ago from our backyard. It’s is not the tree I stood transfixed at this morning. I just needed green for an illustration. 🙂 )