A series of essays….
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A SURREAL MORNING OFFERING PLENTY OF SURPRISES |
….as seen through my eyes!
By: Jacqueline E Hughes
Waking up one morning this past week to write, daydream, and listen to the world so early in the day, I was struck by the offering of softness and mystery right outside my window. Enchanting is the best way to describe this particular experience. Please allow me to explain.
If you are fortunate enough to have ‘a room with a view’ and this view is chameleon-like with subtle changes happening with each passing moment, life can be enriching and beautiful each time you turn your head and glance outside to capture a new image before you. My view represents a world that never stands still and often delights the senses in many rich and interesting ways.
My outlook onto the world beyond my French doors can be as stimulating as caffeine in the morning, as beautiful as a grandchild’s smile, and as natural as a scene from Sir David Attenborough’s narrative documentary, Our Planet. The rain falling gently onto the new plantings of our garden generates softness. A maniacal northern storm with lightening ripping through the multi-gray toned cloud cover suggests danger and excitement. The powdering of the first snow in November enriches our sense of well-being and the thought of how all things must rest before bursting back into life in the springtime.
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THE TREES BEYOND THE FENCE GENERATE A FEELING OF SURREALISM |
My view startled me that particular morning as I suddenly felt like I was under the sea and lost in a swirling rhythm of shadows brought about by gyrating grasses and filtered light. The trees beyond the fence generated a feeling of surrealism by the irrational juxtaposition of images making the scene feel unworldly and almost fragile. I was transfixed by the visions before me.
Finally able to think beyond the floating trees held in place by the mist of an early morning fog that engulfed everything in sight and reaching for my camera, I was able to capture a simple portion of the multi-layered scene stretching out beyond the glass. Trees I’d become familiar with in the distance turned into mere shadows as the trees in front of them marched to a stronger beat until the trees near the fence seemed as black as the eternal darkness of a moonless night. And then, I felt movement.
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SHE LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS POSING JUST FOR ME! |
Out of the dense fog, like a choreographed scene from a Disney movie, waltzed Bambi’s mom, in all her glory, staring through the elongated triangles of chain link and right into my eyes! With her curves and lines softened by the misty surroundings, she posed like a professional model until I slipped the camera away and watched her saunter along the fence line with ease and grace.
Following closely behind her was the remainder of her coffee klatch that morning: two additional doe lingered in her gentle wake as all three made their way east and, eventually, out of sight.
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THREE FRIENDS HAPPILY SURVIVING WITHIN THE WILDERNESS OF AN URBAN GOLF COURSE |
Being fully aware of their presence many times before, we’ve come to believe that the golf course is their refuge, their home; a fenced-in park that’s groomed and maintained specifically for them. I have seen these three traverse the long fairways crosswise, prancing between golfing foursomes as if they were threading a needle that stretched five fairways wide. That morning, they had the park all to themselves and they were luxuriating in this fact.
Our window to the outside world beyond the deck is amazing. As easily as remotely changing the station on a television, set-up with multi-channel cable capability, we experience sunny, foggy, rainy, and snowy backdrops. The deer and rabbits continue to munch on our vegetation as if they were grazing at the sample counters of the local Costco. A family of raccoons are born in the hollow of one of our tall oak trees and four tiny noses peek out from high above. The bulbous, bright pink peonies sway in the gentle breezes. And, spectacular sunsets illuminate the evening sky, often rivaling those I’ve witnessed on visits to Sedona!
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THE TREES NEAREST THE FENCE SEEMED AS BLACK AS THE ETERNAL DARKNESS OF A MOONLESS NIGHT |
Each season, each month, each week, and each day offers up a new selection of entertainment. All we have to do is look for it and acknowledge the life and beauty that surrounds us. How fortunate we are to find such comfort, peace, and love right in our own backyards.
Author’s Note: Warm congratulations to our beautiful niece, Caitlin, on giving birth to her daughter on June 9, 2021! Wishing all of you a world of đŸ’• Love.
Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
Photos Copyright © 2021 by Jacqueline E Hughes
All rights reserved
