A Few of My Favorite Things

I am so tickled by certain simple, little things.  If I see them it make my heart happy.  If I can capture them in photos I am even more oh so pleased.

These are a few of my favorite things....

*Tiny animal hands, especially if they are holding things such as nuts or grass

This squirrel on our neighbor's fence was clutching its chest with its little hand, like it had been shocked.  Or was trying to catch its breath.   It was quite endearing.

We watched a pair of beaver in Yellowstone National Park picking vegetation with their amazingly human-looking hands and munching it like it was an ear of corn.

*Singing birds with their mouths wide open

Western meadowlarks have one of the prettiest, trilling songs I've ever heard.  They're real pretty, too.

*Water droplets

Droplets accumulating on the broad leaves of the broccoli.

May 2012 walk at Yellowstone River State Park

*Animals eating (related to #1)

We left these apples on the front porch after deeming them unworthy of applesauce/juice making on account of insect damage/infestation.  Our friendly, neighborhood squirrel thought they were delish which I found absolutely delightful.

We see both white and red-breasted nuthatches about our place.  They frequently come to the feeder for large seeds to cache.  They will make the trip from feeder to cache site over and over and over.

*Hiking trails seen within the greater landscape

Ptarmigan Lake and the Ptarmigan Tunnel Trail in Glacier National Park.

A very rocky section of the Scenic Point Trail in Glacier National Park where the only reason the trail is visible amid the rock scree is that the rocks on the trail have worn down to a much lighter shade.

The steep trail down to Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park.

*People walking, especially as seen from behind

Matt on the tail end of our hike along the South Rim in Yellowstone National Park.

Matt under his shade umbrella on the Trading Post Trail at Red Rocks State Park, Colorado.

*Homecooked food with homegrown ingredients.

Curried rice casserole with homegrown onion, peppers, and tomatoes.

Jelly and jams made with homegrown or foraged fruits--except the peach...I don't remember why we ended up with so many peaches.  Someone gave them to us, but I don't remember who.

A variation on our Caribbean au gratin recipe with homegrown spinach, beans, and onions.

*Reflections

The mountainscape reflected in the astoundingly clear waters of Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park.

*People pointing off into the distance

The boys at Yellowstone River State Park.  I have no idea what they're all pointing at...but I bet it was real neat.

* Glorious sunsets and sunrises

January 2014

January 2011

*Matt being silly for my amusement

He'd looked kind of owly in the first photo I took.  When I said "Try to look like you're having a good time," he responded with this.

Every time I look at this photo--an extreme close up with the fish-eye lens--it makes me laugh.  Every time.  Its the desktop background on our computer so that every time I fire it up I get a good chuckle.

Matt playing with the dough leftover after cutting out English muffins.

*Insects on flowers

There is an ant on this sunflower if you look closely.  The ant is navigating the bridge of green between the two sections where the seeds are clearly visible.   

For me, they all seem like simple, everyday miracles.