Allie, Scarlett, Kanga
My computer would not keep an Internet connection, preventing me from accomplishing some very “important” tasks. While waiting for it to re-boot, I let our 5 sled dogs outside. They love the crisp, fall-like, New England morning air. The humidity that felt like a suffocating blanket followed the rain and wind storm of the night before, and went out to sea. Thankfully!
I looked out the window and saw my pack, lying in the grass, relaxing under a tree. It was days like these that my boy Steele always loved. The scene looked like a page from a Winnie-The-Pooh book with the characters resting in a Thoughtful Spot.
I heard a hiss from the Keuring in the kitchen calling me. I really look forward to my day-off only coffee. I put my coffee in a travel mug and went outside to sit on the patio. I figured the computer stuff could wait. It wasn’t that important.
The dogs barely moved. They shot me an acknowledging look but made no attempt to greet me. They were content with bellies full of breakfast. They paid no attention to a squirrel that perfomed a circus act in the tree tops. The squirrel was clumsy and defied death as it jumped from limb to limb far above the predators below it. The sounds of falling acorns and a few pre-Autumn colored leaves disturbed the dogs from a slow drift into sleep.
Crickets? Why do I hear crickets at 10:30 A.M.? Birds pleasantly sang their songs and held conversations with one another. They were not shrieking their alarm calls, “CAT’S OUTSIDE” as I kept the felines inside. I learned my lesson after my Norwegian Forest Cat’s 3-day adventure to who-knows-where a few weeks ago. Inside cats need to stay inside. I digress…
When I was a kid, my Mom would sit at a picnic table in our backyard while my Dad tended to his blueberry bushes. His talent to whistle and mimic a songbird’s “voice” was incredible. I was just a kid and I always had more “important” things to do than sit quietly with my parents in the backyard. That’s just not cool. I admit now that I wasted glorious opportunities to immerse myself in Mother Nature’s beauty. And I’m sure I disappointed my Mom on more than a few occassions.
Ahh, but those experiences sunk into my subconscious. The blueberry bushes and the cherry tree of my childhood home are now replaced by a young Japanese maple and aging oak trees of my adult home. As I sat on my patio, there was nothing more important. No emails, no Facebook status updates, no political campaign warfare on the tv. I took a brief mental vacation. No baggage fees, no cab rides, no hotels. I had a 5-star mental luxury experience, right there in my own backyard. Aaaah!
Do yourself a favor. Take a break. Look around. SEE what’s around you. Breathe deeply. Stop hurrying. There’s something beautiful waiting for you in your “backyard”, wherever that may be. I promise!
Be Kind. Be Thankful. Be Significant.
