Stop to Smell the Blue Irises & Hug a Tree

I  put my nose up against some  blue irises to smell their grape scent.  Suddenly, yellow and gold lines were curving away from me.  A snake had been sunning on the rock by the irises, and I had startled it.   The irises around town are starting to fade in the heat.   A pair of hawks circled above further on along the bike path.  When I stop to hug a huge cottonwood, I notice the spiderwebs and insects in the deep furrows in the bark.  Also, I heard a flicker and noticed some birds chasing a perched hawk.  Whenever I stop for a minute in a quiet place, I notice lots  of of life.  A few weeks ago, inspired by others who started to climb, after the annual University of Colorado tree walk, I climbed an oak tree.   Viewed from  the treetop,   all the other trees stood out and seemed more alive in the  gentle drizzle.

Posted on June 18, 2015