Smooth Sailing is about so much more than getting in a boat a floating down a river or on a lake. It is about keeping an even keel in all things, especially when times get rough. I've always thought it was essential to practice that during good times as well. One of the easiest ways I find to do that is to look for beauty.
Today I had the privilege of seeing a ruby throated hummingbird. I spotted it first at the feeder I have at the edge of the porch. It was flying away as I turned around. I heard its wings, which was what made me turn around to begin with. I spotted the branch it landed on and went inside to get the binoculars. It seemed a bit strange to use binoculars to look at a tree branch less than 20 feet from the window. I focused in on him and watched as he sat on his branch. First I admired the bright green of his back. Each feather was like a scale on a tropical fish. He turned his head slightly at one point and I saw the vibrant red of his throat. It was startling enough to make me gasp out loud. He flew back over to the feeder at that point. Unfortunately, he landed on the edge of the feeder opposite of the window, however, I could at one point see his long beak sticking out to the side, and his little tongue flicking in and out.
It was a lovely experience. It is often these little moments that give me the most pleasure and joy. There really is nothing better than reveling in the simply beauty of these little things. There is no price that could be place on them, and no amount of money that could buy anything equivilent. Wealthy people can buy plenty of land, have professionally planted gardens etc., but nothing quite compares to seeing it in the wild with minimal influence.
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