the birds and the bees

alright, i'm not referring to the birds and the bees...you know, as in the conversation that many parents have with their kids somewhere around adolescence. i'm only here to mention that in the course of one sunday evening i've heard my dad share several stories involving several different life forms. the massive spider that looked like a tarantula. the red blood spot and feathers left by the mourning dove that ran straight into my brother's window. the family of frogs down by the creek. and the piece of banana my dad left out for the red-spotted purple butterfly to sip on.

yep. that's my dad. he loves nature and nature loves him back. when i call his name and hear no answer, i know he's outside in the yard somewhere...gardening, pruning, or perhaps examining if a new tenant is occupying the bird-house. that's how it has always been, and even though i rarely have the time (er, patience) to match his enthusiasm while he retells his interactions with nature to me, i still wouldn't have it any other way. when you recognize that someone is clearly passionate about something and that they have chosen to share that passion with you it's invigorating. it's actually a very beautiful thing. a person just lights up from the inside out, and it seems that the most dangerous thing in the world would be for that light to be turned off.

hats off to those of you out there who relentlessly keep your lights on and glowing.