This and that...

Despite an overwhelming anxiety about the state of the world in general; weird weather events, ridiculous politicians, increasing violence and drug use, and the seeming inability of those in government to recognize and deal with these issues... breathe...there are many moments of lightness and diversion. Like..

sharing the McDonald's drivethru with a vole..

or a back road with a peacock...

or driving onto the set of Hitchcock's 'The Birds'.  

The cliche 'small things amuse small minds' often comes to mind, and is probably rooted in the British phrase, 'little things please little minds'. It would have been, and remains still, a disparaging comment, either indicating that the particular mind in question has not the wit to grapple with larger issues or is consumed by things too petty or trivial to be given such notice. These perhaps are an evolution of Ovid's comment that 'frivolous minds are won by trifles'. 

For me, the 'small' is necessary to balance the weight of life's heavier issues,  the dire, the threatening, the frightening things in our world. The small and less obvious things, the unique, the lovely, the awe-inspiring things, can go unnoticed and unseen, like those few moments in the changing evening sky that stop your heart with their beauty.

Or maybe to notice that 'one of these things is not like the other..'

  

or look closely enough at a heron on the shoreline to notice that a beaver is swimming beside him in the river..

or in noticing a goose being shunned by the group, see that his feet are orange and black instead of all black. I guess it is hard to be different no matter your species.

or noticing these little birds pop up on the edge of a corn field. If they had not been accompanied by a parent, I would not have known that they were guinea fowl. Babies of guinea fowl are 'keets' and will look like this when they mature, which is kind of prehistoric with that bony structure on its head which identifies it as a Helmeted Guinea Fowl.

How can one not be grateful for the diversity in nature, and take time to admire it. It is a practice that must be cultivated though; time set aside to walk or drive slowly and train yourself to really look at what is there. I am often surprised by things in unusual places.

Like this Great blue Heron in a tree top at dusk. He didn't stay long, possibly just rested for a moment as he chose his destination for the night.  

This was such a charming scene, a barn cat curled up on a fence post next to the barn yard and the calves at dusk.

  

These fellas were sitting on the fence rail one evening, until the white one got up to inquire as to what I thought that I was looking at. Maybe he didn't exactly say that but there was attitude in his posture.

I got the same attitude from this fellow when we stopped on the back road to ask him for directions. 

When we were in Port Stanley a few weeks ago, this 'vessel' was headed for the lift bridge and entrance to Lake Erie. It was fascinating, and such a tribute to his creativity to watch him enjoying piloting his craft along the canal. What a great way to spend the day.

There is always something new to see.

Like these weird growths which turned out to be Hackberry Nipple Galls, home to a tiny gnat size bug. This housing development does not harm the tree or its leaves, just looks kind of gross. But interesting.

These seed pods are from Velvetleaf which has a heart-shaped leaf and a yellow flower which I have never seen in bloom. They apparently can be found near corn or soya bean fields, but I noticed it because of the unique shape of the pods, kind of the same size and shape of Reese's Peanut butter Cup Minis.

I didn't know if these plants were a type of reed or grass or some other aquatic plant as I had never seen them before. They are over six feet tall and have a cascading flower shape with a kind of fan on top. A little research identified them as Annual Wild Rice, or Indian Rice; not a true rice but still a useful food source which can be cultivated. Something new in an oft seen place.

There are three beds featuring canna lilies in the back garden at Glenhyrst Art Gallery and Gardens. The coloration of the blooms was uniformly yellow and orange with the exception of this one bloom which was unique. Yup, be yourself. Life lessons everywhere.

Then there is the charming or comical; those things that make you smile...

like this goat nuzzling his sheepish pal...

or the big hay bale 'teddy' ...

or 'Mozart' at the petting pen..

or the definitive sign, just 'NO'.

Small things, all of them. Nothing life-altering about them, but each in its way brings something important and life-enriching. It focuses our attention for a moment on something lovely, or sweet, or new which feeds our soul. A moment when we are absolutely present. A moment of gratitude.

 'Small things'.