WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

Sometimes you try to chase nature, but it will not stand still. It is so fast that all you can catch is a blur. This ladybug on the other hand was very cooperative and obliging. Enjoying the quiet and shade provided by the lovely flower.

We are all animals in one form or the other.

And sometimes you just grab the oars and feel the breeze on your face on a warm summer day. Be one with nature. This picture was taken on a day out in North Korea. Fleeting fun, but so enjoyable.

Kids out frolicking.

The young wild ones on the beaches of England, happy just to be outside. We have all been cooped up long enough. It makes being out and running free so much more enjoyable. You never miss something, or appreciate someone totally until you are unfortunately deprived of their enjoyment.

Just seeing the joy in the eyes of the kids, hear their laughter and watching them run. Wild is nature.

Again, the wild ones in England's backyard. Enjoying the great weather while it lasts. These days the skies are so unpredictable.

These multi-colored fun looking little nuggets were scattered in every corner of the house. Joy and fun for the young one to throw around everywhere. Getting him to pick them up was another aspect of not so much fun. Lots of tears and "I don't want to" later, half of them are still scattered over the house. So he is banished to the wild backyard with a pool, to his delight. But as soon as he gets bored, the backyard will be a scattered array of colors. More joy to look forward to.

Another time you catch the little ones and they stay still enough to get a close up.

Whether it is on a nature walk or hanging out with the kids or grandkids, memories captured are priceless. I remember the last summer I spent with these children and the fun we had trying to climb these trees. Although now they are a whole country away, I have pictures to smile at. See you guys soon.

Getting them away from their computers, i-pods, i-pads, and what nots is like pulling teeth. After a lot of yelling and threatening and persuading and sometimes bribery, I manage to get them outside.

They grumble and complain for a while, but when they calm down and start enjoying the outdoors, at the end of the day they do not want to go back in. They start to value the fresh air and sunshine. It is my best part of the day.

Who says you have to be beneath the waves or in the jungles of Africa, the Amazon rain forest or any exotic island to be able to capture the wild. Your backyard can be a wild place. An exciting nature walk can yield some interesting sights.

This little rabbit was really curious about what I was doing on this very deserted country road. Surprisingly she stood still long enough for me to get a hazy if not so perfect picture before she darted headlong into the wilderness that was her home.

Fox in winter.

Winter was not going to stop this little fellow from seeing the sights and having some well deserved fun. Such a sweet smile of contentment.

Parrot hanging out at the zoo

Some pictures came indirectly into my possession. In a wild way, still wild.

This beautiful flower housing a ladybug was taken at my friend's place in Canada. Elaine is a nature lover like myself and keeps me supplied with wonderful snapshots that she encounters on her marathon nature walks around her city of Ottawa.

My US rural city has it's own little nuggets. But her array and choice of beautiful flowers far outdo mine. I fully enjoy and appreciate the many variegated and nuanced colors that nature has to offer.

So we forge ahead and capture the wild in our own unique way, utilizing whatever we have and crafting it in our own artistic way.

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