Little wonders

Finding the right words is a challenge today, as I spent the majority of my work day learning bookkeeping at the Home Depot where I work. The trainer is good, and I am catching on fast, but it is draining on the brain.

I am now at home browsing through the photos I took on Monday and the words to accompany them are stuck somewhere in the fog that’s left in my head. Words like awe, or wow, or cool, or peace. Not for the photos themselves, but for the subjects in them.

I took my mom to the University of Minnesota Arboretum in Chanhassen, where we spent the majority of our time in the gardens behind the main building. In one area, lantana lines one side of the walk squaring off against the huge dahlias on the other a little farther down. The butterflies, hummingbirds, bees and other insects were enjoying the bright colors and wonderful scents as much as Mom and I were.

I sank to the asphalt path and poised my camera toward the lantana, searching through the lens for split seconds of stillness to capture. The wind was blowing, and the hummingbirds flitted so quickly it was difficult to get a shot of one in the air.

I finally got one after we moved to the dahlias, but it isn’t as clear as I would like. Everything was moving.

Studying the flowers and creatures that were enjoying them was a pleasure. The wonder of how all life is interconnected never ceases to amaze me.

A different day I watched a bee moving from small flower to small flower on a plant that has clusters of flowers in the shape of a raccoon tail. The bee, which was bigger than most of the flowers, would grab each one with its feet as its head burrowed into the small fluted flowers. At one point, he grabbed a flower that was ready to fall and he tumbled away from the cluster. It was hilarious!

Unfazed, he quickly resumed his project as if nothing had happened.

There are so many beautiful gardens at the Arboretum, as well as water falls, paths and sculptures. Right now, there are a variety of scarecrows dotting the paths around the main building, all created by community members and Arboretum staff. It is interesting to see how different people see the world.

I’m thankful there are places we can go for respite in the midst of our busy days.