Taking Time to Breathe

I love To Do lists.  They keep me grounded and make sure I get things accomplished.  (And hopefully help me to remember important things.)  But sticking to my lists sometimes means I miss what's going on around me.  Sometimes I forget to take a breath and enjoy the world.

Back in July we were up at the cabin celebrating 4th of July.  For some reason I was the last at the lake, spending one more night before heading back home after the holiday.  The beach was picked up, chairs secured in the boathouse along with the beach toys.   The cabin was clean and I was waiting for the sheets to dry.   I’d almost put away my kayak the evening before, but decided I would paddle in the morning for exercise instead of taking a walk.

I’m so glad I did.  When I woke that morning, the fog was curling off the water.  I couldn’t even see the other side of the lake.  The fog muffled any sound and the air was rich and moist.  I grabbed my camera and slung it around my neck hoping to see one of the pair of loons that come back each summer.

 

 

 

I paddled over to the bay hoping the water lilies had opened, but as you can see, they were tightly closed.  Instead, I found some wild irises. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a paddled along the shore, I turned my head and not twenty feet away from me was the gray heron that hunts in the lake. 

 

The buzz of my camera lens opening made him take flight.  Oh I wish you could have seen him fly through the fog.  Luckily, he settled on a boat canopy across the lake.  This time I opened the camera before I got close and got some lovely pictures.  Somehow I think he posed for this one.

 

I'm so glad I took the time to breath that quiet still July morning.