Fabulous Fireflies

I found this stunning photo today by Kristian Cvecek and just couldn't contain my adoration. Kristian used slow shutter speeds to capture these lovely fireflies in flight. Absolutely amazing.

My Childhood Garden: The Woods

Yes, my parents left our yard empty, but we did indeed have a lot of fun playing organized games across that open lawn. Openness isn't a bad thing. It does provide a venue for lots of running...and a lot of opportunity to grow tomatoes.

Photo courtesy of Jessica Hill Photography

But something happened...as children we still sought out that special place filled with trees, water, wildlife and the opportunity for manipulation. What we (the neighborhood kids) all discovered was a woodland. A place where suburban houses had yet to grow. It was a block long and about two blocks deep.

Photo courtesy of Jude McConkey

"The woods" as we called it, provided that sense of adventure, discovery and connection to living things. When we were not playing baseball in our backyard, we were in the woods creating forts, blazing trails, and swinging across creeks.