Living near the continental divide you become keenly aware of watersheds, flow patterns and which ocean the water will eventually end up in.

There’s no question of the final destination.

What you don’t know, when standing by a small mountain creek, is what the path ahead holds.

A mystery we all face.

This winter has been punishing in more ways than one to some of us.

And when you feel completely beaten down you seek for signs, however tenuous, of recovery, rebirth and renewal.

So when I was out in my backyard garden last weekend, turned over some dead leaves and spotted a flash of green sprouts coming up into the sunlight – well, that one bit of emerging life gave me hope for the rest of the day, and into this next week.

It’s not like that one moment will overcome all burdens.

But without that bit of encouragement from Nana now and then, things can start to seem a lot more dire than they really are.