The Saggiest Wins
At the Denver Zoo, I become amazed with the number of animals who give prestige and power to other animals based on how much skin sags on their bodies. I’m serious. In a herd, the animal with the saggiest chin (dewlap) has the most power and prestige. And another thing: Animals regularly make themselves look […]
Beautiful But Fatal
I’m relaxing in a neighbor’s backyard, and she leans my lounging chair back to make sure I’m comfortable. Then she exclaims, “Look! The delphinium!” I turn to see the brightest blue flowers. What beauty! That blue shames even the sky. Later, I learn that this plant’s beauty comes with a caution: it’s poisonous. It can […]
Perceiving Contrast Brings Pleasure
I learn today how sensitive the human eye is to contrast. In fact, perceiving contrast brings pleasure. We actually enjoy it. This explains why I can’t take my eyes off of my hostas. The contrast of white on green keeps me planted. Or my weeping cherry that now has cherries. That deep cherry red on […]
Moving Ahead Despite Danger and Uncertainty
I wait for the Northern Cardinals to leave. I lean in, snap the photograph, and then get out of there before I’m pecked to death or beaten with a mother bird’s wings. Northern Cardinals Growing in the Nest I don’t even check the photos until I’m safe inside. Sleeping Northern Cardinals It’s the same caution […]
The Thing You’re Neglecting Might Be the Thing You Need
First Green Strawberry Today I zoom in on the first little strawberry in the patch. I take a moment to focus. The background blurs, and all of a sudden, I see what I have never observed in my whole life: the white fuzzy covering on a new strawberry’s stem. Have you noticed it before? Not […]
Digging Deep
Today I learn from the neighborhood children all of their digging stories. Children seem to have lots of these: digging in sand; digging in dirt; digging in snow. They report the treasures they’ve unearthed in the form of bones and shells and marbles and old pennies. “If you dig deep enough, you will find something,” […]
What You Alone Can See
Walking to school, we notice how everything drips. It’s nearly 35 degrees (a warm day!), and we’re jubilant as we slosh along the sidewalk. I observe the water droplets on the branches and winter berries, and it suddenly occurs to me that not one other living creature sees what I see at this exact moment. […]
Beauty that Astounds
Snowflake Melts on a Branch I learn something astounding about snowflakes today: the more hostile the environment, the more intricate the snowflake’s shape. The bitter cold and wind encourage sharp tips and branching designs while warmer temperatures produce slow-growing, smooth, and simple patterns. I’d rather have complex, sophisticated, and beautiful. I’d rather have unexpected and […]
Snowflake Photography
Early this morning, the children race around the house to announce the news: Snow! Just flurries, but still the excitement mounts as the sun rises on our town. I grab my camera and go outside on this blustery morning. I’m in thin pajamas–no hat, no gloves, not even my coat–and it’s amazing how I don’t […]
Spiritual and Stylish Too?
Today, my very stylish sister takes me shopping. I used to be stylish–maybe 20 years ago–when I had the means, the time, and the desire to look my best. While my internal flair has grown exponentially this year, my external style needs help. I’m too tired, too old, to be cute. I’m too spiritual […]