It’s Friday and you know what that means…we make a point to showcase all the beauty Mother Nature freely provides us…when we look around. As always, we join our ‘fur-iends’ Rosy and her brothers from LLB in Our Backyard in sharing what we’ve observed. Like much of the country we’ve managed to receive frequent rain showers. Just as the garden was bursting forth with color galore, a quick hail storm threatened to put the kibosh on the beauty, but we actually managed to dodge the bullet unlike that monster that hit us a couple of years ago. But enough about the weather (can’t change it anyway, right?) so let’s get right to the beautiful and fascinating sights from this week.
Appreciating nature in my ‘hood only requires a quick walk and when you’re out and about a few times a day with a couple of knuckleheads, that’s extra easy. Walking with the dogs, seeing what interests their snouts provides me with observing things too many people miss because they have their noses stuck in a little screen. It’s still astounding that people think they’re walking their dog, but are actually tethered to a small screen. They neglect to see the beauty (or dangers) surrounding us. What’s an observer of life to do? Relish what IS seen!
I had to make a few extra trips to the post office and library this week and walking to each location allows me to see stuff I wouldn’t if I drove. Like this dragonfly that landed next to the sidewalk. I nearly missed him. Those transparent wings nearly made him invisible but for his body being a bright green.
Speaking of pollinators, check out this gorgeous Swallowtail butterfly that flew right past me. I gasped and worried he might take off before I could pull out my phone and contort myself near enough to capture him in this rose bush. Such a showy dude!
Walking offers a terrific way to see some other garden friends, the bees. Whenever I come across purple or blue flowers, I know there’ll be somebody in there either drinking the nectar or scooping up pollen.
Tucked into a corner of a pie shaped sliver of a garden on the way to the library, I came across a beautiful little oasis complete with mini Stonehenge water feature.
This garden contains lovely flowers including this lovely rose and Heuchera (Coral Bells) where one can stop and meditate for a few moments while the sky grew moody, suggesting a storm. It was just too lovely not to linger, even if I did get wet.
Smiling inside and out as I left this beautiful area, lo and behold another beauty screamed out at me. Ice plants are very common around here but I’d never seen this color combination before. It was definitely worth the wait!
Arriving back home after my wanderings and being contemplative after seeing such beautiful sights, I stopped and took in my own front garden. It gave me yet another opportunity to savor everything Mother Nature offered this week.
As I walked up the front walk, I began to notice the jungle, otherwise known as an arm-shredding rose bush near the front door. I had been planning to move it but the weather didn’t cooperate and I feared transplanting it after the late snow storms might kill it. Now it’s spread like a virus and is covered in buds (along with those prickly thorns). But now, it has the first delicate blooms.
Have you taken time to appreciate Mother Nature this week? I sure hope so. Enjoy the weekend and don’t forget to “stop and smell the roses” along your way.
Live, love, bark! 🐾