48: Finding color

(Yellow berries hiding under the willows.)

Even this late in the fall there is still plenty of color to be found outside.  There are lots of greens, browns, reds, and yellows.  Some are hiding.  Others are showing off as brightly as they can.

(Red leaves.)

I was surprised to find dragonflies still hanging out near the pond.  I would have thought they had all moved on by now.  The mild weather must have fooled them.

(Red dragonfly.)

The rhododendrons need to be covered soon.  The deer find them crunchy and delicious and will clear off all the leaves if we don’t put some netting over them to keep them out.

(Green leaves.)

I did a series on colors over at Bountiful Healing.  Those posts are my most popular blog posts at BH.  If you want to have a look at them, click over to Bountiful Healing and look for them in the right side bar under the title The Color Series.  You will find links to each one there.

(Brown horse.)

(Red, orange, and yellow sunset.)

Today’s Walk

One of the first things I do now when I go outside is clean out and refill the bird bath.  This morning the water was frozen solid.  We’ve had several frosts, as you know.  Today was the first time I’ve seen ice.

(Ice and sunlight in the bird bath.)

It is another gorgeous, unseasonably warm day here in the Bogs.  It went down into the 20’s last night but will be warming up to near 60 again today.

I met a cat on the path heading towards the woods.  I don’t know if it’s one of feral cats that roams the property or if it belongs to one of the neighbors.  I wasn’t able to get a good look at it, mostly just a silhouette against the background of the grasses and wildflowers.

(Cattail reflections.)

The kingfisher was particularly chatty today as he swooped back and forth across the back of the pond.  I saw it dive headfirst into the pond, fishing for breakfast.  Our is a belted kingfisher.

If a kingfisher has come to you, prepare yourself to dive into something new.  Have you been avoiding the new?  Have you been afraid to take the plunge?  Are you needing new warmth?  Don’t worry.  If a kingfisher is around, you won’t drown.  In fact, you will find that, as a result, you will have new sunshine and prosperity unfolding within your life.

~ Ted Andrews, Animal Speak

I did an hour of yoga practice before heading outside this morning.  Yoga helps me start my day feeling relaxed, loose, and open to whatever comes my way.  Most of the time.  There are days when I’m just not there or my practice leads me in other directions.  Today when I finished my practice and as I walked around the pond, I felt as though I’d somehow shed some of the old to make way for something new.

---