When we look into the heart of a flower, we see cloud, sunshine, minerals, time, the earth, and everything else in the cosmos in it. Without clouds, there could be no rain, and there would be no flower. Without time, the flower could not bloom. In fact, the flower is made entirely of non-flower elements; it has no independent, individual existence. It “inter-is” with everything else in the universe.
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
breezes at dawn 
Ooh, heaven on earth!
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I think so too, Eliza. 🙂
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Gorgeous photo and a challenging quotation . .. and wonderful to hear from you :-))
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Thank you, WG. 🙂
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Robin, Have you seen Jane’s latest challenge on “Just Another Nature Enthusiast”? http://justanothernatureenthusiast.org/2015/05/13/unless-earth-friendly-chroniclerschallenge-10-biodiversity-i-spy/ Looks like your cup of tea, and mine 😉 Would be very interested in what is hanging out in your garden in May… in addition to the peony people, of course… Hope you enjoy this gorgeous COOL day 😉
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Thanks, WG. I’ll go have a look. I was just out in my garden and I can tell you there is a rather large (HUGE) black rat snake hanging out there right now who was not at all happy when he saw me mowing (he struck a “strike” pose to let me know). Being away for ten days gave the grass a chance to grow almost thigh-high which the snakes seem to like. Apparently they like this perfect weather, too, because I saw three more while out walking. I never made it out to the dock because a pair of them were entwined in the middle of the trail, and well… I let them have the trail for now.
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Oh Robin, you’re giving me cold chills just thinking of you encountering all of those snakes! And I know that all of the snakes on your beautiful peninsula are not harmless rat snakes, too. Do you ever get the granulated “snake repellent” sold at Lowes? We often use it around our perimeter in spring, because we find them here, too. Thigh high grass and snakes sound like reason to hire a yard crew to handle the job to me…. at least walking behind the mower gives you a little cover. I hope you wear boots for that work! Did you have snakes like that in your Ohio garden? Glad all ended well and that you’re back in safely ❤ WG
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Thanks, WG. 🙂 No, I don’t use snake repellent. They don’t come near the house when we keep things cleared, and usually don’t bother coming around the gardens either. The black rat snakes do keep the rodent population down so I’m thankful for them for that reason, but have to admit that they always freak me out a little when I see them. I do wear hiking boots when I’m out working. As for snakes in Ohio, we had some black snakes, but they stayed mostly in and around the pond. Garter snakes were sometimes seen in the yard, but they were pretty good at remaining invisible most of the time. Spring and fall are such active times for snakes. I’ll just make sure to keep the grass mowed from here on out, and always stomp around when I walk. Usually stomping is enough to clear them away before I get there. 🙂
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One of my favorite flowers! Thanks for sharing!
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You’re welcome, Karma. It’s one of my favorites, too. 🙂
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Peonies always remind me of where I grew up. 🙂
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Judging by the smile at the end of your statement, Frank, those are good memories. 🙂
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Lovely! Our peonies have just formed their heads, but I think it will be another four to six days before they open up. They’re a beautiful deep red, and I always look forward to them. However, almost invariably, once they’ve been open for a day or so we get a heavy rain, which knocks their flower stalks over and then they’re pretty much done for, alas! It’s been dry here lately and we could use the rain….but….
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Thank you, Laurie. 🙂 That happens every year to us, too. We also need the rain, but it is sad to see the peonies flattened after waiting for them to open.
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Oh wow! Absolutely gorgeous!
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Thank you, Michaela. 🙂
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