Out in the countryside visiting family’s property this morning, I took my dog for a lovely bit of a ramble. We walked through the trees into the clearing. Whenever I pass through that opening and enter into the clearing, I feel like I’m entering a portal to a magical realm. The sheer beauty of it always amazes me.
The entrance to a magical realm
By my feet were the blue periwinkle flowers, and as the clearing opened up before me, I saw to my right the white narcissus with their yellow centers and the daffodils. These sunny flowers celebrating spring. The forsythia shrub has blossomed and the yellow flowers are a startling yellow against all the green vegetation, they are very beautiful and a different shade of yellow than the sunny daffodils.
Beautiful forsythia
Forsythia blossoms
Continuing along the front of the grassy clearing, I paused to enjoy the magnificent large crabapple tree. The blossoms have just begun to open and I hope that when I am here again soon, I will be able to see it in full bloom.
Crabapple blossoms
My dog, Charlie and I rambled back out onto the driveway and I took a picture of the wooden post fence that my father has built to protect a garden bed along the driveway.
Wooden post fence
Cutting fallen trees into suitable lengths, my dad put each post upright to create this fence. I always admire it, there is something about it that makes me feel happy when I see it, maybe it’s the rustic charm.
Sun through the trees and fleeting moments
We continued up along the driveway and as I looked to my left, I was touched by the beauty of the landscape with the sun shining through the trees. I took a moment and just breathed in and savoured the moment. Today is a lovely day and I am grateful that my dog and I are able to enjoy it.
A slower weekend, after the busy-ness of last weekend when we had a family gathering for a birthday and eleven of us came together to celebrate and share a meal. It was wonderful to see my family who live far and had come down to visit, and catch up again with the family who live closer too, and also to be able to join in the celebration of the birthday, a treasured moment.
It’s moments like this that I appreciate so much. I take pleasure in small things and quiet simplicity, my heart capturing the fleeting moments that mean so much to us, and together will make up my lifetime.