A DAY IN THE SUN

It is the end of the summer season.
One final escape until the fall begins.

The sun is still very warming to my skin and sprawling out between two porch chairs;
I can feel it burning my flesh.
The cool breeze blowing across the mountain makes it so nice and comfortable
I can actually fall asleep, listening to virtually no human made noise at all.

The birds are talking away to each other and the crickets and grasshoppers are rubbing their legs together to make a tranquil musical serenade.

A butterfly lands on the arm of my chair about an inch away from actually touching my skin.
I sit very still just watching
The colors and markings on the wings are so intricate and delicate, like a master’s painting.

I can actually feel the fluttering of the wings as the butterfly (Sophie) decides what she intends to do or where next to adventure off to.

I have a glass of juice next to my chair to help cool off during my day of luxury; so thinking quickly I decide to drop a spot of the orange liquid onto my arm.

Slowly and carefully Sophie takes her antenna and tiny elegant legs and touches the spot of juice as she curls her antenna and ever so slightly takes in the liquid.

This is totally mesmerizing
Never before in my lifetime have I had the experience of actually becoming so close to becoming one with such a secretive creature.

I ever so gently lay another spot of the juice on the top my hand, and astonishingly, over comes the butterfly to gracefully suck up that as well.

I guess Sophie has had enough, so off she flies to another destination.

Sitting and soaking up the clean mountain air, the simple pleasures found in nature and enjoying the brilliant sunshine is a fantastic and remarkable thing.

On this day, I came to know the pleasure of a solitary butterfly, a small toad, and three willful dogs simply by trying to get to know them and the part of our world that they belong to.

One of the dogs had a past history of bad ownership, so he was very aloof and stayed away from all humans, with the exception of his owner.

Astonishingly for me, we connected and I met a new, loyal friend in this dog.

I feel very lucky to have been blessed with a bond to the animal world
It is eerie sometimes as to how I seem to draw these unbelievable creatures out and befriend them.
The unconditionally of their relevance to this world is a treasure I carry with me always.