Surprise at the Pond

What a  beautiful crisp Colorado early Spring day (Springtime in the Rockies) Perfect weather to go forth and attack the winter sludge and grudge. So off to the garden grow tubs and the bird bath which sits beneath  our lovely French Lilacs. Armed with my trusty gloves, mini shovel and cultivator I silently started  to dig up dandelions (not sure how they got In the tubs). With that challenge done I realized I needed to fluff up the soil so it could breathe and warm in the sun before planting the seeds. So I lifted and turned the soil and caressed it with my gloved hands, but something was missing..I could not feel the coolness of the soil..yep no more gloves, What a thrill. There is nothing that will renew your mind, spirit and soul like spending time in your garden and sharing those special  moments with the Lord who created the Heavens and Earth.

Yikes, the silence was shattered by the shout of my husband ..”break time” , let’s go get the mail and chocolate hot fudge sundaes. Sounds like a winner to me, so we jump in pickup and head to the ice cream shop. With treats in tow, we are homeward bound, but decided to take a detour and check out our little Golden Pond to see what ducks and geese might be swimming about. There was a large variety ranging from Canvas Backs to Mallards and a pair of Canada Geese thrown in for good measure,  but something flew by and caught our eyes..It was an American Kestrel,  which is the smallest of the Raptors. For me, this was a thrill of a life time. I fumbled for my cell phone and got off a couple of quick shots as he tree hopped down the road. Alas off to the woods he flew as we inched the truck toward our road leading home…what a day…you never know what will appear on the horizon, so be prepared at all times to expect the little miracles that God sends you way..p.s. This is bird I must paint!

Bally Bugs, Bumble Bees and Granddaddy Long Legs Wild Genre

Life can become stressful, tense, edgy and just plain not fun. My life for the last few days has been just that. So my cure for it was leave the house, the studio and all the other pressing obligations and commitments and head for the garden.

My Garden is a 6 x 8 foot green house and a wonderful hoop raised bed area that is 4 x 9 foot, made from raliroad ties and pvc pipe.

The sun was shining and a light morning breeze caressed the air (not a 30 mph job), which was enough to brighten anyone’s spirit.

I knew it was to early to plant anything due to our 7000 foot elevation and frosty nights, but oh it felt so good to sit in the garden soil, getting my hands dirty and just enjoying the sweet fragrance of the earth that God had created.

While sitting there letting the soil sift through my fingers, I became aware of something moving about..to my left there was a Bally Bug ( actually a sow bug which is a soil dwelling crustacean). Family tradition has always called them Bally Bugs because  when you touch them they roll up like a ball. Kids loved them. This little fellow was busy as he could be scampering along the soil in search of decayed plant matter, I am sure, as this is what they feed on. He knew his job and where he belonged and just was gitt’n it done.

Next was the wonderful Bumble Bee ( sure sign of Spring). These are amazing bees as they really defy the theory of flying. I took a deep breath of air and just kicked back and watched the life of the Bumble Bee and the Bally Bug unfold. The Bumblebee was hovering about the Lilacs to see if there were any buds yet which would provide succulent nectar for food and energy.

Whoa..something just crawled a cross my hand..wouldn’t you know it..Granddaddy Long Legs made his Springtime appearance. What a grand specie he was. His legs were about 2″ long and so slender and delicate..up the pvc pipe of the hoop frame  he  danced on of his silver colored legs. I wonder what his world looked like from four feet above the ground. These little critters are really quite graceful and reminds me of a ballerina.

A little puff of wind brought me back to reality and alas,  I thought about the garden critters who were content in doing what their life was all about..Are we content in our stations of life, or are we discontent and never satisfied with what God has blessed us with? I decided to choose to be content where I was at, satisfied with my blessings and so grateful for life…now it was time to return to the studio  with a joyful heart and inspiration  to start creating wildlife on my stone canvasses.

I enjoy quiet times in the outdoors just enjoying Nature and how everything is in balance (that is, except where man has messed it up). I challenge myself to try to live a more balanced life choosing to be joyful in all that I do…how about you?