"Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Don't be trapped by Dogma which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become."
- Steve Jobs

Monday, September 05, 2005

A lovely morning ...









Well the autumn Equinox was yesterday and what a lovely evening it was. The sun seemed to turn to gold everything it touched, I wished that for once it would stop it's passage round the earth and just stay there for hours, keeping everything golden.

This morning it was the same. I'm lucky enough to work in a place that has a HUGE lake and parklands, and driving to work I decided I had to go down there before I went to the office. There was an autumn mist in the air and yet again the sun was golden, but this time it was lighting up the mist as it came through the tree branches, creating bright gold streaks of light that touched the morning dew and made the grass sparkle.

A lone squirrel rippled along the ground collecting nuts, paused when it saw me, stared, then bounded up the tree with the amazing slow grace only squirrels have. Rabbits sat hunched in the dew, chewing slowly and watching me with an unscared eye. The smell of the air was so lovely, so fresh, slightly damp but yet slightly warm too, and everywhere there was gold, gold, golden sun.

Nobody was about as I approached the lake, which resembled unbroken glass with the mist hanging above it and the autumn trees flanking it all along the banks. I just stood and breathed in, and took in the lovely, peaceful sight before me. Buggeration that it was nearly 9am and soon I'd have to go sit in my plastic and concrete office all day, I just wanted to stay here.

I took out a bag of old bread and as soon as the plastic rustlings echoed across the lake, the ducks appeared across the other side and hurried over to feed, creating V shapes in the glasslike water, then deciding to fly over and beat the other ducks to it.

When they had fed they drifted off and the lake resumed it's glasslike sheen once more, broken only by the occasional ripple as the small fish feasted on the remaining breadcrumbs.

I took some photos but my PC is now unplugged and packed ready for the house move, so I can't upload them. I sat on the bench looking out at this gorgeous spectacle and despite my loathing for the UK climate in general, I do love golden autumn days such as this, and I wish they lasted for longer! Sitting there surrounded by such peace and beauty it's hard to think of all the other crap going on in the world, and how so many people will never witness a sight such as this, or the feeling of peace and silence that an empty misty autumn lake can bring you. It's also amazing how some people can walk past a sight like this and never realise, never stop to take it in, never marvel at nature in all it's glory.

Over in Texas, the long hot scared frustrated traffic queues grow bigger - over in New Orleans the cleanup continues - over in Iraq the senseless killing continues, so much misery and pain, and all happening simultaneously while I sit by this quiet beautiful lake.

I had to drag myself away to the plastic palace that is my office. Nearly lunch hour now but the sun has gone and with it the magic of this morning too.

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