Every morning I go out and water the flowers and feed the fish in the claw foot pond. My dog brings me his ball and I toss it each time I fill up the watering can. He miraculously avoids each flower bed while racing back to me with his boundless enthusiasm hoping for one more toss before the can is full. It is a ritual that he and I enjoy.
When the fish emerge to feed I stop tossing the ball and the dog lays down and waits patiently in the shade under the deck. I love watching the minnows and goldfish dart in and out from the cover of the lily pads and swim between the submerged roots of the water hyacinths.
Last week we had a frog show up on our patio. We left him alone for 3 days and he sheltered in our large storage box where we put the patio furniture cushions. On Monday a friend was over helping me make some garden photos and commented, “all you need is a frog in there.” I realized that I had the missing piece out front on the patio! I decided to relocate the frog to the pond and he seemed quite content. He stayed for a day and then disappeared but then returned the next day.
Since Sarah and I started gardening I have come to appreciate how a small ecosystem that we have created can feel like the entire universe unfolding with each bloom. The beauty of LIFE is right there if I just take the time to look.
This week we had another water lily bloom and I was fortunate enough to be there as it opened. Usually they bloom when I am away working. This day I was blessed to be there as it opened up for the first time. I stared at it and then decided to go get my camera.
The blooms last for such a short time that within a day you start to see the flowers deteriorate. These photographs captured the most flawless bloom I have ever seen. I think it is a lesson for me about needing to slow down and to just let life unfold and become its own unhurried perfection.