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Thursday, April 05, 2007

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, OH MY

The tree on a street which runs parallel to where I live gets me every time. I turn the corner and start merrily up the sidewalk to gasp under my breath when I catch the ominous presence to my left, out of the corner of my eye. For a moment I'm in the Wizard of Oz with trees that smack children for eating apples they hold close. As long as it doesn't hurt the tree or scare small children, it's at least remotely amusing that one of my neighbors has turned the harmless tree into a character from a children's movie. I have enjoyed snapping photographs of the various gardens in my subdivision. At first I was a little shy about it. I know most of the people who live on my street which is a short one which dead ends. I know a few of my neighbors that live perpendicular to where I live and around the corner but not very many beyond that. However, people haven't seemed to mind me taking pictures of their flowers and trees. As a matter of fact, since I started snapping shots around my neighborhood, I've met quite a few people in my extended neighborhood. It's interesting to me to see how much variety there is, in terms of gardening styles and landscaping. I used to think my neighborhood was relatively boring and I was eager to dodge off into the woods via the greenway trails, particularly liking the parts where I couldn't see any houses. I'm surprised by how beautiful everything looks to me of late. Not sure if it's because there are more gardeners or if it's because I am able to look in a different way. There have always been individual gardens I've enjoyed at certain times of the year but over the past year, I've enjoyed all of the seasons. Even last summer when I was so ready for the heat to end, I was able to appreciate the green umbrella that softened the major artery out of my neighborhood. I don't know whether I'm getting older and have a new perspective or if it's actually more pleasant than it used to be. I've never thought of myself as someone who has a life altering event and all of the sudden stops to smell the roses. I've always smelled the roses. I've always been drawn to sights, sounds, scents and impressions. For some reason though, I am noticing that I am increasingly satisfied with where I am. I hope I will become slightly more adventurous but even if I don't, where I am right this minute isn't half bad. Right this minute as I tap, tap, tap on my key board there is a major orchestra playing. The birds are singing their mixtures of songs and screeching out calls to liven up my environment. I hope they aren't bothered too much by the change in weather. We've been having a warm week but it's changing again. Besides a hard freeze in a day or so, it's going to be quite cold every night for a week and very mild during the day. It's odd to go from a very warm March to a much colder April. If it seems odd to me I can imagine what it must be like for the birds and early butterfly I spotted this week. I guess the baby birds will be particularly vulnerable, if any of them have hatched yet. I may be wrong but I think I've heard some little babies calling out for their breakfast amidst the morning uproar of many different bird calls in the early morning.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You live in such a lovely green lush area..I'm in the high desert with lots of sage brush, etc. Allergies galore...thought I would escape them but not so...mostly from the sage and rabbitbrush bushes. I have to admit tho, altho, I love the lush green it strikes up even more serious allergies for me. The landscaping in your neighborhood is beautiful..loving your photos, keep them coming and so glad your neighbors are agreeable..Do I see a magazine cover on the horizon?
sue

Anonymous said...

Life itself, when understood and utilized for what it is, is sweet.

(Benjamin Hoff from The Tao of Pooh)

You figured it out long before many of us.
Love, K.
PS I love it when you take us for a walk!

King (Kathie) said...

Carver,

Your pictures are more beautiful all the time. It sure looks a lot more interesting than a bunch of palm trees!

Stay Strong

Kathie