I have had "What a Wonderful World" in my head for three days straight. I'm not sure why; but it hasn't left my head:) I guess I'm noticing even more the beautiful things around me. It was very windy and a storm was brewing last night, so I opened the patio doors in my bedroom so that the cats could let out some steam by staring out at the world (or at least my backyard). Storms make them crazy. Anyway, that helped, and it brought a fresh cool breeze into my room. It had been a muggy day; the temp only reached about 75 but the humidity must have been near 100%. Anyway, I got down on the floor with Mikel and Vader, turned off all the lights except the patio light, and spent half an hour with them, staring out at the backyard. It is amazing what you notice when you take the time to do so. The noises, the smells, the sights...it reminded me of when I was a little child and how I adored being outside. Little children and animals are very similar in many aspects; not only are they innocent, but they truly know what is important in life. They recognize those little things and cherish them. I'm glad I took the time to do this. I remembered the big pine tree in our front yard when I was a kid, and how its boughs dropped to the ground, forming a dark green, sweeping canopy. My brother and I would go inside and we would have our own little world there under the tree. We collected pinecones, watched birds, and climbed as far as we could get. I'm sure it irritated my mother to have to check for ticks every day, but she still let us play there. As I lay there with the cats, I recognized those scents and sounds that I have become immune to as I have matured.

This morning was also windy and overcast, but a little cooler. As I was walking to work, I saw an absolutely adorable little bird on the ground in front of me. It was a baby yet. I watched it try to fly away as I approached, and I just smiled and thought, "what a cute little bird!". I think I definitely have to keep getting outside to enjoy all the rich beauty that is around me. Maybe I cannot travel to exotic places right now, due to money and time constraints, but there is still so much to discover right here! I hope I continue to remember how I felt yesterday, laying there with Vader and Mikel, and try to take the time to notice the little things more often.