Hummin' Along

My friend Kitty's home has an expansive deck, which is decorated with carefully and artistically arranged planters.  This year, the plant color scheme is shades of purple.  Earlier this spring, Kitty painted, decorated and situated on her deck several flower pots, watering cans and implements, a table, a garden sculpture and even a wheelbarrow in bright green, dark turquoise, brilliant yellow and soft brown to accent the vibrant plant life. Whenever I spend time with Kitty on her deck, I feel as if my entire body exhales with anticipated relaxation.  From the vantage point of her deck, we sip on ice water while solving the world's problems, watching butterflies and bluebirds, and soaking up the spectacular view of the rural property she shares with her husband and their cat.  Recently, Kitty and I moved to another section of her beautiful deck, right under a hummingbird feeder.  Soon, we were joined by tiny hummingbirds, dashing in and out to get some nectar from the feeder above our heads.  I read that hummingbirds' wings flap an unfathomable 12 to 80 times per second.  It's no wonder that they sound as if they're humming when they dive in for some food from their feeder.  With all of that wing activity, I'd be humming along, too!  I firmly believe that we all need a place -- whether we own that place or simply have access to it -- that helps us rest, relax and commune with nature.  There's so much to explore and entertain, and it's all so good for the soul.