I spy with my little eye,

something interesting down by the creek.

Nature photo of the day: a unique-shaped stone that was dug out of the foundation of a small wooden building on our property - we returned it to the creek bed because that’s where it asked to return.

I spy
with my little noticing eye,
that I'm not the only one 
down by the quiet creek,
though I am the biggest,
but perhaps, not
the most important.
I spy
because that's what
villagers do,
now that I am one
with them
that's what I too, shall do.
They stand still
and they watch
what you are doing,
knowing full well that you 
see them too, looking 
back and forth, taking the scene all in
and saying nary a word
in return. Just spying
in plain sight,
simply acknowledging 
that we are all tangled, some of us more, some of us less, in this web of life 
together.

- Cheryl M.

Csermely has become the official noticer around here. Constantly looking up to the sky for clouds in unique or strange formations, listening for things in or out of the norm, or the first to point out the cawing of the crows every morning - now that it’s hot enough during the day, and chilly enough in dark, to sleep with the windows open all night.

I spy with my little eye, something that looks like a leaf. Do you see it?

It’s all fun and games to notice what goes on in and around your house (the stuff you often experience every day), but when you take your playfulness further afield, or even creekside, you can find so much more.

Yesterday when we went down the the creek to dig some clay to repair our wood stove, the ambience was very autumn-like. Not always do I take the camera, so we went down again today just before lunch to notice a few things and snap a few photos.

The experience was totally different, for the sun wasn’t as bright and the clouds were out in full force. The birds weren’t singing, but the mosquitoes were definitely biting, and overall, it felt a bit sombre. It reminded us how much the appearance of the sun can change the perceived beauty of the landscape, as well as the state of our moods.

I spy with my little eye, tiny details worth noticing.

Instead of finding the light show of yesterday, we found the shadow play of today, as well as an abundance of clay.

And, of course, once you look up from the creek bed, there you’ll find green.

I spy with my little eye, somewhere to sit and relax among leaves of green.

Isn’t it amazing how the focus of your eyes can turn from gray to green and back again as you listen to the creek babble many different tunes, as it rambles downhill over a multitude of large and small rocks?

While there is green above, the water trickles with leaves of gold, butter and blonde, letting my mind wander to autumn in July. At least down here, by the creek, in this fleeting moment, where the smell of the wet, rotting leaves reminds me to my favorite season of all. Which, no doubt, has to wait, because the pumpkin leaves are barely knee-high and the tomatoes are still a vibrant green.

I spy with my little eye, autumn in July!

As for the journal prompt of the day:

I spy with my little eye, something special to me outside…

What is it that caught your eye today?

In what ways did it bring you joy?

Enjoy your summer/autumn-ish days outside,