Sumac Leaves

There are several patches of sumac that grow beside streets in our neighborhood. Today I noticed many different variations of coloration on the sumac leaves in one of those patches. So I parked the car, got out with my camera and wandered on the side of the street photographing the gorgeous shapes and colors of

Sumac Leaves

There were places where the leaves reminded me of prayer flags flapping in the wind…

Earth’s crammed with heaven.– Elizabeth Barrett Browning

And others that reminded me of butterfly wings floating through the air…

There is just wonder right in front of us, and we don’t spend enough time thinking about it.— Michael Pollan

I was surprised by how long I spent seeing new things in this single patch of sumac beside the street.

It was amazing how many different kinds of coloration I found there. Slowing down to notice this seasonal beauty lifted my day from the ordinary to the sublime.

In this time of year I often wish I could stop the season from turning in order to absorb more of the colorful beauty all around me. Taking the time to look closely at this common Minnesota plant (some think of it as a weed) brought great joy and also made me feel like time had slowed.

Taking in the Good and the Beautiful

The simple things are also the most extraordinary things, and only the wise can see them. – Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Photography is my way of taking in the good and the beautiful. There are other ways I’m sure. How will you take in the good and the beautiful today?

May you walk in beauty.