Contemplating Colors and Time Outdoors

Sometimes when looking at nature, I get curious about things I see. For instance, have you ever seen a rainbow that has jagged edges? I haven’t. And the colors are always in the same order. Why is that?

Watching rain or snow falling, I wonder what determines its rate of fall. Why does it fall at different rates ... from slow to downpours or blizzards.

And then there’s the branches on a tree. Two trees of the same variety, side by side, do not have the same number of branches nor are they of the same exact formation. Trees are like people in the fact that each tree has its own characteristics .. number of branches, number of leaves, girth, etc.

Then there’s the color of flowers. Left to their natural colors you can easily identify the species. It gets more difficult when dealing with hybrids. So then you go to a book that shows the formation of each species and a list of colors each one can be.

What about the clouds? While driving along, I often glance at the clouds to see what shapes I can see. A fish or dolphin, puppy or kitty, a building. What fun it is to count the number of shapes.

Taking a walk along the top of a dike or a road, there are so many things a person can see. Do you ever wonder about what comes into your line of vision? I’ve discovered that what you see on one side of the road might not be present on the other side.

Even looking at rocks laying along your path you can see a multitude of shapes and varieties and colors.

I’ve often thought there are many stories in what you can observe when taking a walk ... much like the stories told in a quilt made from scraps. Each piece of material has a bit of history attached to it. So it is with nature. What flourishes in one part of the world won’t be found or cannot grow in other parts.

In spending time outdoors, you can learn so much if you but take the time to really see what’s in front of you. However, you must actually see the world around you, not just merely glance at everything as you go on your way.