Wildflowers and Songbirds of Summer

It's summertime and I can't think of a better place to enjoy it then outside admiring all that around you when you are immersed in nature. 

The warm air is thick and humid. It smells so good, the aroma of sweet hay and damp forest decay surrounds me.  Everywhere, the vegetation is lush and there's a million shades of green.  Wildflowers abound, bright yellow honeysuckles, familiar white daisies, pink and purple clover blossoms, vivid orange and red fire-flowers; everywhere, even more wildflowers:  purple, white, yellow tiny flowers peeking out from the tall summer grasses.

The sun is shining strong in a cloudless hazy blue sky.  The morning dew still lingers in the shadow filled forest.  The warm breeze rustles the leaves as the trees sway back and forth on this perfect start to the day.  The wind rises and howls briskly and then dies down to blow soft and gentle again.  It rushes past me, kisses my cheek and then it's gone. The wind and trees dance and play together like old friends in perfect unison.

In the wilderness, I am surrounded with the sounds of many different songbirds.  The chirps, chatter and tweets fill the forest with life. From somewhere in the tall trees, they call out to each other and to the world. It makes me so happy to hear the birds sing - it fills my heart with joy.   Butterflies flutter lazily around, big ones and small ones - white, yellow, brown and my favorite are the baby blue butterflies.  Dragonflies  gather by the dozens on logs to soak up the hot afternoon sun.  The cicadas complain in the background... it's going to be a hot day.

Little chipmunks scurry along gathering seeds, red squirrels leap from tree to tree - it's a bustle of activity.  A jack rabbit nibbles on some clover in the far corner of the yard.   Life is exploding all around me - it's great to be alive and in the midst of all this beauty.  I feel fortunate to be here, part of it all.  Being outside with nature is so wonderful, it feels so good; it nourishes the soul.