Connecting to Earth's joys is something that gives me great happiness.  I can do this in my backyard, but today I am grateful for the opportunity to explore a state park new to me.  Few things make me feel more alive than exploring unfamiliar territory and greeting all the life.  I feel blessed to live in proximity to such splendor and enjoy sharing the connections I make. 

I did not own a camera until 6 months ago, and it has become my most cherished possession because it helps me see and appreciate things I might otherwise overlook.  Today's images are from Camano Island State Park, Washington, and a few of the Langley marina on Whidbey Island with an amazing spring sky.  The same sky that caused a heavy hailstorm I drove through on my journey from one island to the other.  Many of the trees are Madronas, and I'm sure you can identify the one I have dubbed "Peace Out" tree.  

Reflection

How surface tension holds the weight of the world
I will never know.
A heart resides submerged,
the reflection's underside its ceiling
never fully exposed to light of day.
On the verge of drowning, the heart floats,
finds safety in leaving the body to ride 
wind, trees, clouds and rain. 
Freed from its moorings and misunderstandings, 
the heart encounters a moss carpet, wild strawberries, 
fir tree guardians,
drawing a mirage to guide it home. 

~ Erin Waterman