Observation of my own backyard….
When we think of adventure, we naturally tend to think of going somewhere and participating in an event, being involved in an activity on a larger scale. By taking the pressure out of joining a huge quest, however, I’ve realized that I can find adventure and inspiration in even just a small timeframe, if I put my mind to it. Simply observing nature in my backyard, for example, can open up areas in my brain for new ideas, or make me feel energized in the middle of long and busy day. On one busy day in particular, I was caught up in a running-around cycle, and decided to take a break to observe and relax.
In a matter of several minutes where I chose to find “something interesting,” I spotted a Cardinal couple seemingly involved in some sort of mission. I kept my eye on the pair, and when I realized and said aloud, “I think they might be building a nest,” the female Cardinal hopped up on the deck with a huge mass of something soft and billowy-looking in her mouth. Wow! Construction work in progress.
Additionally, I noticed an occupant in the hole of a tall tree in our backyard. I look in the hole quite often, as I like to play my own “Who’s in the Hole Today?” game. Over the years, many types of animals have occupied that hole for various periods of time. Both yesterday and today, the same small-sized raccoon has been sleeping, cleaning, and just being his or her cute self in the little natural tree house. I had no idea that raccoons spend seemingly hours a day cleaning, just like cats! Haven’t we all heard that raccoons are filthy little trash-mongering animals? Not this one, apparently!
Ah, there’s a little chipmunk, eating what appears to be a nut. He’s sitting on a rock, upright, with the nut in his little hands. Too cute for words (and too fast for a picture!). And, two Juncos are pecking around, most likely in search of food.
See? In just five minutes, I was able to observe a beautiful and natural setting. Animals building, hunting, eating, and sleeping. What an amazing adventure in “the wild!” Now, off to watch Wild on Amazon Instant Video.
What’s in your backyard?
