Unless you have totally unplugged from the world (which is doubtful if you are reading this blog!) we all either witnessed with our own (protected) eyes or saw images through the media of our recent phenomenon of the total—or in our case partial—eclipse. It occurred on Monday, which is a day that we are closed to the public so it gave staff a little more leeway to come outside and revel in the spectacle. All of the usual contraptions were in place: approved viewing glasses, homemade boxes and cameras to capture some of the images that resulted from the eclipse paired with a lot of chatter and excitement to be witnessing such an event.
Leaves from trees showing the crescent shape of the sun.
Since we only experienced a partial eclipse, the day was still bright but with a different feel to it. At a loss of how to describe it, I can only say that it was bright with a shadowy overtone. The contrast was certainly higher when looking into sunlit areas from the shade as the shade was much darker than usual. It seemed as if the outside was vailed with a screen—and it was.
A cut-leaf outline of a tree shadow.
As I heard people talking about their experiences and saw pictures that were posted marking this event it caused me think, “what if people took time out of their day, every day, to marvel at what miracles of nature surround us all the time to which we just don’t pay any mind.” A simple example of this is that light changes every day so theoretically our perception has the potential to change every day. Nature is different now from how it was a month ago, responding to the incremental shifts that happen, slowly, with the passing of each day.
I stopped gardening at my house the other day due to a cacophony of bird song in my neighbor’s yard. It was a flock of goldfinches, working at the ripening seeds of purple coneflower, an event that would not happened just a few days earlier since the seed was not then ripe. Though this maybe a yearly event, it is still a magical moment to witness. Whether at the Winterthur Garden or in your own home garden, keep your eyes peeled and take time to notice what is happening all around you, the daily miracles of life.
Nice perspective! In my heart and with my voice I’ll exclaim, “To God be the glory!”