Garden Bliss...

Good morning, all!  ~

Want to see some real garden bliss?  Some fragrant, head swirling, floral eye candy - and a quaint little visitor to my garden?

After putting a load of laundry in this afternoon, I ventured out into the breezy sunshine to gather up the mail.  My walk to the mailbox, though short enough, always delivers some sort of photo opportunity waiting to be captured. Raindrops on petals, bees so heavy with pollen that it looks like they're wearing little yellow bloomers, a new bud, the pine trees sporting little green gloves of fresh growth, and a quaint little visitor that happened to stop by Heaven's Walk for the day.

So, take a deep breath.........Now close your eyes.........Breath out........

Now open your eyes (otherwise you won't be able to enjoy these photos *wink).

And enjoy some garden bliss.......

Lovely, yes?

As I walked past the front porch, I noticed a little gray something setting on the steps. Hmmmm....I looked closer to discover that what I had thought was a stone, 

was actually what I believed to be a little gray toad.

  Eyes closed. Napping in the sunshine. A picture of total contentment...

He sat there so quietly. Not wanting to be noticed. Not making a sound.

He heaved a big sigh.   

(Well...not really, but I imagined he did. He seemed that happy.) 

I was amazed how well 

he blended in with the pale, gray chippy paint on the steps. 

I thought, "How different from the blooms in the garden on the other side of the house.  Their colors shout to me to take notice, boasting their beauty, and seemingly 

very, very proud of themselves."

But here was this little guy.  

Small...unobtrusive...quietly and happily warming his tiny belly,

snoozing away the afternoon 

in the pale sunshine my front steps.

I wondered where he had come from.  From how far?  Had he made his new home in the mulch beneath the stairs? How did he know that his color matched the paint on the steps and that he would be safe there?

I sighed. How blessed I feel to be given the opportunity and the God-given awareness 

to catch moments like this in the world around me. 

I wish you blessings on this beautiful spring day - and I pray that you, too, will see something new outside your door today that you make you stop in wonder and gratitude....  :)

~ laurie