Mother
Nature is amazing. I suspect she also
likes to receive attention. Lately I notice, when I
spend time outdoors and pay careful attention to nature, I am rewarded with a
gift. Every day if I look around me, I
will find that gift and it is mine to admire and appreciate. One day my gift may be a brilliant indigo
bunting eating at my feeder. Or, it
could be the appearance of a flower I’ve never seen before, or a hidden nest filled with baby birds. The gifts are quite varied
but they are consistent – I get one gift every single day but it is up to me to
find it. Mother Nature can be secretive,
but she is oh so generous.
Here are a few of my gifts from Mother Nature:
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| I have had this pot a long time. Althought I haven't planted petunias in it for years, I begin watering the soil each spring and soon flowers appear in an assortment of colors, always different colors every year. The way seeds can germinate on their own every year -- its just like magic. |
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| A friend and I found a newly hatched baby turtle in the middle of the road. We took him to a pond and set him down by the water. He literally ran toward the water and quickly dove in, his first time in water. What instinct! |
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| A rainbow on the water after a storm is a beautiful gift. |
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| A perfect specimen. Recently I discovered a new luna moth. They emerge from their cocoons in late afternoon and wait for night time to hunt for a mate. With no mouthparts for feeding, each moth only lives a few days so finding a mate and laying eggs is an urgent task. |
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| I went to see the gorgeous spring blooms at Reynolds Community College in Goochland and stumbled upon a killdeer sitting on her nest of eggs. As ground nesters, she chose a spot right smack in the middle of the gravel walkway. Fortunately killdeer chicks are precocial, meaning as soon as they hatch their eyes are open and they can walk around and peck for food, unlike other helpless baby birds that must be fed by their parents. |
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| Ahh, the gift of a perfect pink peony. |
Thank you for your gifts Mother Nature.
