A Colorful Surprise

No snow yet, so I brought my own snowflakes to Kinsey Park in Brookfield.

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Nature may have been calling, but I wasn't listening.

I have to learn to take my own advice. I chatter on frequently about the importance of taking the time to get outside. To commune with nature, if only for a brief respite in the midst of hectic times. It really can do wonders for quieting the noise in our minds.

It's been a couple weeks since I really took some time to get outside, and my crankiness volume was getting louder. The year is coming to a close, the holidays are looming, and priorities are piling up. I was getting caught up in my own mental and emotional chaos, along with the external influences. The weather has been a bit static, and, as a nature photographer that can be a bit boring. We're always looking for the next visual fix, so to speak.

So, finally, I'd had enough of my own self,  and I decided to get out some of my holiday ornaments and go for a walk. This usually helps to perk me up, and get some creative vibes flowing during drab, moody days.

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Yesterday was mild and sunny. Lots of blue sky. So I went to Kinsey Park, one of my favorite local parks with a small woodland trail, and brought some of my favorite ornaments along.

​I hung them from bare tree branches, and propped them up on tree stumps, and just enjoyed taking some shots with my camera. The sunlight popping through the bare branches really added a nice touch, and I was happy with the results.

Ornamental color with added sunlight for sparkle.

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Hearts in nature spotted along the walking trail at Forest Exploration Center.

Today, under gray skies, I did more of the same, but at the Forest Exploration Center, in Wauwatosa. Also another local favorite, it was fairly quiet, and I enjoyed walking the woodland trail and taking some photos with and without the ornaments.

​Today, along the trail, I kept spotting hearts among the trees. One of my favorite things to watch for when on a nature walk. Maybe I was just in the right state of mind to spot them this time. All of these trees have been there for ages, so...

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Something unique also happened yesterday, as I was finishing up my walk at Kinsey Park. I was going to try photographing some of my ornaments in a tree next to a bench by the children's playground. But I didn't need to.

​There, in the center of the leafless tree, was a colorful ornament hanging.  A beaded hummingbird. I wondered who hung it there. What was their story?

A mysterious hummingbird ornament on display at Kinsey Park.

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Hummingbirds have migrated south, so this December sighting of a hummingbird ornament was a colorful surprise.

My mom loved hummingbirds. She collected little trinkets and jewelry modeled after them. She put out hummingbird feeders outside her tiny apartment every summer.  After she died, I was out walking at another local park, Mary Knoll Park, in Brookfield. Along one of the wooded trails, I stopped to look around, and perched on a branch on high was a hummingbird.  I stood watching it for a while, as it preened and rested. Thinking of her, remembering how much she loved them. 

The next time I was there, on that same trail, it wasn't there. So I stood in place and closed my eyes, wishing it would return. Amazingly, it did. It felt like such a gift. Now, I know it was probably just off somewhere nearby, feeding on a flower, but it was still a reaffirming presence. 

Seeing the hummingbird ornament at Kinsey Park this week was like another gift. A reminder, that even though my mom isn't here on earth any longer, she remains with me. This little touchstone, seemingly out of nowhere, brought that back to me. I don't know who placed the ornament there, in that tree, but I'm certain it means something special to them, too. And I am grateful to have seen it.

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There's a reason we often feel the need to take a walk when we're upset or overwhelmed. The physical movement, the fresh air, the temporary ​distance we put between ourselves and the place of anger or anxiety helps to give us a chance to find some perspective. To calm down. 

I'm not saying that every venture into nature will bring with it gifts to steady your heart and soul, but the more you're open to it, I think the lighter the darkness becomes. And on days when the sun sets so very early, I'll take any light that shines my way.

A walk in the park inspires and enlightens. Especially on difficult days.