In the week preceding Easter, journeys with friends reminded me of the joys of childhood’s egg hunts.
On these adult expeditions, we searched for–and found–secret glories which we could have easily missed.
My friend Betty and I delighted in finding the cross vine pictured below and the happy turtles pictured above at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin:
Back at home in our corner of the Texas hill country, my horseback riding friends and I took turns spying lace hedgehogs among the emerging grass.
We also remembered the location of last year’s claret cups and found them to be blooming as well.
Later on, I explored in the pasture alone, looking for butterfly eggs on antelope horn milkweeds.
And chokecherry blooms right along the path found me:
All of this–familiar trails, dear friends, April dressed in its finest, the return of spring, reminders of rejuvenation and joy–makes me celebrate with the poet E. E. Cummings:
around me surges a miracle of unceasing
birth and glory and death and resurrection
And, amazingly, I am a part of it.
* * * *
Writing Practice:
What secret glories of spring have you been noticing?
What lines of poetry cause celebration in your own heart? In what ways?
Practicing Wonder 
Chris, I like that your camera captured the turtle’s spread-out toes. that’s not a thing we see in turtles.
I hadn’t even noticed that, Jeanie! Good eye. If I were holding a small person on my back, my toes would be gripping that rock with all their might. Thanks for reading, amiga.
Exquisite photos and observations!!! So glad to find a new post tonight!
Sent from my iPad
Thank you, Linda! I’m looking forward to seeing you soon–we need to check our calendars.
I am at south padre island looking at carp in rainbow breeding colors guarding an underwater crater to lay eggs in, while osprey, egrets, heron, spoon bills, sandpipers, black belled whistling ducks, red winged black birds, gulls, terns, moor hens, turtles, and alligators dance out there magic steps with butterflies all around. The sun is a giant beach ball of fire red come sun down. I loved the poem EE Cummings wrote. Lovely to be part of the dance of spring again. Even better than the year before. Such a gift to be a player in this dance of transformations I see the animal change color and put their best foot forward. It is hope excitement and joy. Hopkins speaks of how there lives the freshest deep down life in the heart of the world. That it gathers like the ooze of oil crushed; it shines out like light from shook foil. That after we get tired and dirty during the day, morning rises renewed and made clean again and again, enfolding us in more than human arms. I feel awe at the way thinks work out in harmony and beauty. So privileged to get to be part of it. Thanks for sharing spring with us with new eyes and renewed wonder!
What beautiful descriptions, Linda. I am so appreciative that you read Practicing Wonder regularly. Thank you, thank you!
Amazing! Hope you are well:)
Sent from Mo’s iPad
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Thank you, Mo!
Not only do we have wonderful rides but get to discover such beautiful creations. Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge of nature and the excellent pictures with us.
Our rides are such a gift to me, and our friendships are equally so. Thank you, Sue. By the way, my knowledge of nature is far from vast, but practicing looking for wonders spurs me to look up information. I’m working on keeping my brain active. 🙂