Peace ...

... is not demanding. It just is ... It comes to us when we cease our demands, and accept it ... in mind and in heart.

more spring than summer ...

... yes, that is what it will be like in a few days as I reach Yosemite amidst elevations from 4700 to around 9000 feet. From the weather forecasts I've seen, it will still be spring, and even though the snow pack this year is only 40% of historic normals there - the waterfalls should still be flowing at a good clip ... Really looking forward to the trip!

Sweet 'youth' ... and a smile

Discovering his feet in the sand ...

There is something very akin to the life of a child in puppies. One has to believe that their young inquisitive and easily fascinated minds are similarly positioned in the 'grand scheme of things' ... As I begin to move on over the hill of my own life ... and look back now and again at where I've been, it is the 'youth' I've once experienced - the 'youth' I've witnessed in passing - and the 'youth' ... I'll see as I go - that never fails to bring a smile - magic and miracle - and 'wonder' to the world .... It tugs at my heart ... in a wonderful way.

fusion of the flora ...

... The eyes are seduced each spring ... by the always welcome, always amazing, flowers in the garden ...

Be still ... and listen

The forces of nature are always at work ... and we are all a part of that eternal hum. Be still, and listen to the wind ... In truth, there are no hierarchies. We are both predator and prey. 'Tis but a matter of scale ... for now.

seasons of color ...

Spring and fall - the seasons that demand attention to vibrant colors in nature ... My favorite times of the year ... Every year!

stemming the tides ...

When you know you're aging fast, as I know that I am, you simply have to undertake those things that will prolong the inevitable ebb & flow of the tides. We're all a part of that ebb & flow ... and that's a wonderful thing. But we have to "move", travel, see the world around us again and again - because it changes each and every time we have the great privilege to see it, to be yet another part of it - to preserve it as a memory - as an integral part of our spirit for eternity, because ... we are "mortal" nonetheless. Yet, we are eternal in spirit, just as is the sea ... and the tides that roll ... and bring the storms to life.