The sun has shined, temperatures mellow, skies clear and blue, Spring has sprung! It is much too perfect outdoor enjoying weather to be indoors! Fortunately for me in Florida in March there are lots of beautiful places to invest a little time enjoying!
To my delighted surprise, I discovered a bird feeder near the nature center in the park just 10 minutes from home, that is frequented by the most colorful display of aviary offerings. To my further delight, these little beauties happily dined while I sat at length, just watching, mesmerized by their perfection, and the fact that until now I didn't know they even existed! Yet here they were just 10 feet away, going about their business, unaware that they were being very attentively observed. I have made several trips in hopes of seeing them the past few days, they have not disappointed! They can completely disappear into their environment and you'd never know they were there. Now that I've seen them I want to see more of them, like a rare secret that only discloses itself to a certain "lucky" few. A gift only given to one who stops long enough to notice.
Different from the tall dense earthy forests of the north with their own hidden treasures, walking through the sparse pine and palmetto woods natural to this area peaked my sense of smell. The breeze carried a warm, woody, green with life scent that absolutely required of me, long, full, deep breaths, absorbing yet another under appreciated gift, the scent of freshness and newness, a certain indication of continuance, hope.
Walking back to my car, looking down I spotted the teensiest of blue flowers intermingled with the green grasses. A weed to anyone whose finely manicured lawn might sprout them, but why? They are sweet and demure, they can't be big like the garden variety flowers, their destiny in life is to peek up through the sandy southern soil for as long as allowed. They just are. They possess no awareness of their stature or status, they don't know they are teensy, they unfold their petals, and bend toward the sun with all the splendor they've been created to offer. They are trampled under foot without so much as a passing thought. I stopped. I saw. I admired.
I have the pictures fresh in my mind, I have the pictures from my camera downloaded on my computer, I have shared the pictures and spoken of the experiences, but only being there up close and personal can make it a treat, an escape from the daily exhaustion of dull routine.
We are literally surrounded by treasures just waiting to be discovered and appreciated, gifts that have been right in front of our unseeing eyes, and disconnected preoccupied natures.
What else have I been missing?
Wake up senses.
Life is happening, with or without you.
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