Serendipity means an “unintended discovery,” a “wonderful happenstance,” or “pleasant surprise.” It’s something you stumble onto unintentionally. That happened to me at the farm this past weekend—twice!
I had just arrived at the end of the long, lane leading to the farmhouse, when I looked up to see two, huge birds soaring over the pond. At first I thought they were hawks, but as they swooped, gracefully across the sky I could make out the white head and tail markings.
They were Bald Eagles!
Though the majestic bird is our national symbol, it’s rare to see them in the open skies unless you are near their habitat. I gabbed my cellphone and started snapping pictures through the windshield. It was a strain on the capacity of my iPhone camera, getting a photo at such a great distance, but I couldn’t resist trying.
Bald Eagles were nearly wiped out during my lifetime by hunters and pesticides. Their survival is a conservation success story. With a significant rebound in their numbers, the American eagle has been moved from the endangered species list to the threatened.
My second serendipitous moment occurred when I was walking about an old garden spot that hadn’t been dug up for years. I noticed some shoots coming out of the ground that were unlike the grass and weeds.
I knew a former resident once had an asparagus bed in the area. I’ve never raised asparagus, so I didn’t know what to expect. It takes 2 to 3 years to get an edible growth and I’m too impatient. But once established the hearty perennial can last for decades. I snapped off one of the stems that was smaller in size than a pencil and tasted it.
Ahh…it was crispy with clean, earthy undertones—definitely asparagus. What a fortuitous discovery! I can hardly wait to see what a little tender, loving care will do for this old asparagus bed that’s refused to give up. A friend has agreed to dig out the invading turf and mulch the bed with compost. That, too, is serendipitous.
Stay tuned.
