Cypress vine, basil blossoms, seed pod

morning glories

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Reflecting

I never knew how relaxing and interesting it could be to sit in a room (too hot outside) and watch the various birds (and squirrels) come visit the bird bath. I put fresh water in every day, but I only started watching them Sunday after I found some binoculars when I was doing some cleaning. They aren't the best, but they are better than just my eyes (I need some for people who wear glasses!). I have been working in the back bedroom, which used to be my oldest son's room until he left for college (though he stayed there in the summers when he came home). It then became my youngest son's room when his brother completed college and did not come back home (when he flew the nest!). It is the most comfortable, quiet, and private room in the house (though it is very cold in the winter, which would suit me just fine!), and it has 6 large windows, so it is like a sun room. I have dark blinds on all of the windows to block the light for obvious reasons (sleep comes to mind!), but when you open the blinds, you have the best view in the house. I can see my beautiful roses, raised bed gardens, the yard feature I added this year with a crane birdbath flanked by red barberrys with a purple-blossomed butterfly bush behind it. I can see my neighbor's vegetable garden and her lovely backyard landscaping. I can see the huge magnolia in my backyard, the patio ornamental peach with a birdbath under it (the one the birds visit the most), the arbor covered in wisteria, the garden bed with a spirea and variegated liriope planted all around it, the white hydrangea that sits in front of the rock wall which encloses my father's memory garden, the red bench inside my father's memory garden, the potting shed, the rose of Sharon trees, the three new dogwoods we planted this year, the weeping cherry in my father's garden, and, if I stand up to look out the window, I can see the three roses planted next to the house (1 pink and 2 yellow), the red drift roses in front of those, and the pink zinnia. I can just see all sorts of beautiful things that I can't see from the living room, dining room, kitchen, or my bedroom. I can see some of them from where I am sitting as I type this as the study is also at the back of the house. I have seen these birds today: European starling, male cardinal, northern robin, blue jay, and gray catbird. I also saw a squirrel bend down to drink some water and watched him with amusement as he seemed to be watching his reflection in the water. I would have loved to have gotten pictures of the birds drinking water and their reflections. Maybe one day! Anyway, all of this is just to say that it doesn't take money to watch this and to feel like I have been transported. How did I not ever take the time to do this before? Sure, I want to travel, and I want to see things, and I want to buy things, but I don't know think the happiness, wonder, and excitement in doing those things measures the joy in discovering how much one can love the most simple things--not to mention the added bonus of stress reduction that comes from simply watching the birds. I do sincerely hope to get some travel time in the next few years. I haven't been much of anywhere in a long time, and I have never been abroad. For now, this is enough.

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