Because when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing.

There is definitely something about nature and the way it can change your mood in an instant. The fresh air, trees, a bird perched on a branch. Everything as it should be, with all its imperfections, fits together magically.

‘Nature is pleased with simplicity. And nature is no dummy’ Isaac Newton

A brief trip last night after dinner with my eldest daughter Audrey to the National Arboretum was just what we both needed. Being a family of 6 means we don’t always have some quiet one on one time.

For Audrey it meant some special time with Mum, a little adventure, to be my little model, chat about life and girl stuff, pick wild flowers, and watch the sun go down for another day.  For me it meant so many things. Another moment to treasure with my beautiful girl. A moment of peace and reflection where nothing matters except for the beauty that surrounds us.

We separately both noticed the magpies perched on the white street marker posts, watching over the landscape, observing what is theirs to enjoy each day. I wondered what they might be thinking. Perhaps, like me, they were thinking to themselves how very lucky they are to live their care-free lives and enjoy nature’s gift of colour – the beautiful sunset.

'The earth has music for those who listen.' George Santayana

It might sound a little cliché but to me, with each visit, whether during a quiet moment at dusk or during the day in the noisy pod playground where the children play, I am overcome by a feeling of peace and gratitude. Maybe it comes from having experienced the threat of life being taken away too soon, maybe it’s just something that comes with getting older. For whatever reason, I feel happy to be able to truly appreciate what is around me.  A painted landscape, presented to us by Mother Nature, nothing expected in return, simply for our enjoyment.

'When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.' Rumi

Being able to capture this, even just a little piece of what I feel, with my camera gives me true satisfaction.

But most importantly, being able to enjoy and share these moments with the ones I love is what life is about.

I hope you like these images and they somehow evoke some of that feeling in you. There is always a spare moment in your day. Open the door, look outside. A drive or walk or even sitting out on your porch or balcony, for just a little while can make such a difference.

'To find the universal elements enough; to find the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life.'  John Burroughs, Leaf and Tendril

Live love life