The Clouds Parted

I love looking up at the skies.  I envy the birds that fly up among the clouds.  I imagine that I could join them and move among those beautiful scenes.  Perhaps it is because the sky is ever changing.  Perhaps it is because it reminds me of heaven. . .

The Woods Called My Name

I was nine when we moved from the city to the "country".  In actuality it was the suburbs but our neighborhood was undeveloped and we had acreage as did our neighbors.  Behind the house was the "woods" as we called it.  It became our place to play.  Each season fascinated us and found us out exploring.  For me it was as if I had found myself.  My love for the outdoors began there amongst those trees.

The Gardener

Our yard is in a constant state of flux.  We have created in some ways a monstrosity with so many flowers.  The spring flowers start in February when the Snow Drops bloom.  It isn't until the end of March or early April that the star flowers, crocuses and daffodils peek through.  And that is just the start of the annual parade.  We have a perennial garden that has so many seasonal flowers we find it hard to remember what will pop up next so we are always surprised.  And on top of that, we keep making changes.  This one spreads too quickly.  Get rid of it.  Then we add a new one we saw at the store.  I'm not sure exactly what our plan is any more.  We are addicted to flowers!

Cloud Windows

Isn't the world amazingly beautiful?  Can you not recall time after time when you have looked somewhere and were just filled with the pure joy of seeing beauty surround you?  It can happen on a mountain top or in your own backyard.  It could be the night sky or the dew on a rose.  It might be a newborn calf or a blue bird on the limb of a tree.  On the day of this photo we were enjoying the northern California coast.  It was a cloudy day when just for a moment the clouds opened and let the sunlight through.

Beauty among the Thorns

We have not been successful at raising roses in our garden.  Our sandy soil extends at least fifteen feet downward and it is very difficult to keep it moist.  Add to that the harsh Michigan winters.  But one year we purchased this sweet and delicate rose from Jackson and Perkins.  Designed to grow in the north, it is guaranteed to restore itself from the roots if it is subject to winter kill.  It has tried admirably to grow for us.  It is quite small - about a foot tall and delicate all over.  But it is oh, so beautiful when it blooms.  We watch anxiously each year for this lovely favorite of ours to arrive and it never disappoints us.   Perhaps because we know how hard it struggles to survive, it is the perfect rose to remind us that  amid the struggles of life, there is a beauty that we must not miss. 

God's Palette

We are surrounded by a world of color and each season has it's own special display.  The colors of winter in Michigan are white and black and every shade of gray.  Those can seem drab as winter drags on and on but they serve their purpose to slow our lives and calm our spirits.  Even our February snow drops are white.

So when spring comes with its bright display I am surprised by it's beauty each year - as if I were seeing it for the first time.  The purples and yellows and greens come first as crocus and daffodils bloom.  Then come the tulips and hyacinths with colors of every hue.

I cannot even imagine how much fun it must have been to create the flowers!

Interior Design

I am sure I have said this before but there are many moments that come for a very short time and if you are to enjoy them you must lay everything else aside and just go!  Fireflies on a summer evening are only here at a certain time in twilight.  Early morning fogs disappear as the sun rises.  A newborn with all the sweet sounds and the wondrous smell of new life only lasts a little while and then the baby is rolling over or starting to crawl.  Snowfalls that cover the trees and make the whole world a magical place are another one.  Even on the coldest of days the sun's rays will reach down and touch  that snow and it will not last.  So when there is a really good snowfall and the world has been transformed, we grab our cameras and head outside. 

Sunset Dance

We have a favorite spot for watching sunsets.  It is "up north" as we say here in Michigan.  Just west of Mackinaw on Lake Michigan is a park called Wilderness State Park.  It is one of those few remaining beaches where you will share the sunset with but a handful of other visitors so you can sit and watch in peace and quiet.  Unless it is a rainy evening, we have always been guaranteed a beautiful sunset.  There is something wonderful about the sky.  Whether it is the rosy glow of the morning, a vivid sunset, puffy clouds on a summer day, or the magnificent night stars, the sky draws me heavenward, reminding me that there is so much more out there - like a glimpse of eternity.

Spring's Secret

I don't think our Michigan phenomena is universal, but certainly in all areas where winter is a very real cold season that drags on forever there is a longing for spring.  A warm day in early March comes and we get our expectations up.  We know that spring will not be here until April but we want it so much to come.  Our hearts override our intellect and then when the next day turns cold and it snows we are so disappointed.  This happens year after year after year.  But we only see the surface.  Deep in the ground those early spring flowers are at work, bulbs expanding, plant slowly pushing upward.  I think they like to be there just below the surface, waiting for the right moment to spring forth.  It is their little secret.

Sunrise

I love the sky.  My husband Lynn and I are often found calling each other and saying "Come, look at the sky."  And often, the beauty is momentary as light and clouds and color move and combine and then it is gone!  We will run to grab a camera only to return and realize we have missed the picture. Maybe that is why it is so fascinating.  It keeps changing.

Because the school where I taught was eastward, I watched sunrises daily as I drove to work.  They affect me differently than sunsets.  They are peaceful and offer promise of the new day before us.  I find them filled with hope.