Stop and Smell the Roses

On the days I get home before dark (and often accompanied by a flashlight even after dusk) I take a walk in my yard and admire the plants and the mountains and the sunset and my goats. Lately, these walks have resulted in lots of pictures.

Sometimes I’m so in awe of the plants and nature surrounding me that the words just can’t come.

We lucked out with the purchase of our home. We have four beautiful acres surrounded by mountain views on all sides. The original owners of the home were Master Gardeners and it shows in every inch of our property. In fact, the yard is something that drew us to this home. When we were purchasing the house, the previous folks (also plant lovers) promised us that there was something in bloom every day. They weren’t kidding.

Tom and I, too, are enthusiastic about gardening and have certainly added our fair share of plants to the landscape, including a small fruit orchard and hundreds and hundreds of bulbs.

These additions also contribute to the abundance of picture taking. We love observing our baby plants sprout, counting the nectarines on the trees or the magnolia blooms as they form, looking for eggs in the birdhouse and watching the blue birds grow, and being reminded of the plants we added last year. I love taking pictures of the small details, like the tiniest of muscadines forming on the vine, or the peach blossoms, or the wild strawberries that seem to pop up out of nowhere.

I use to stand firmly in the camp that viewing everything from behind a camera lens took you out of the present, out of your environment and limited your ability to fully appreciate the moment and commit the experience to memory. However, last month we did an Outdoorosity photo challenge to welcome Spring. During that time, I changed my tune. I realized that the camera was actually helping me be more mindful of the things around me and reminded me to search for beauty.

I’ve been more intentional about stopping to smell the roses, literally and figuratively. I’m finding reasons to slow down and seek out beauty during periods of change and in the every day.