Hi, What Are You?

We found this cute little fellow on our back door as we were heading out to the store. He was up near the top of the screen, so hubby snapped a picture for me.

He is known as the Eastern-Eyed Click Beetle, but those lovely spots for which he is named are not really his eyes.

He was probably about 1.5 inch long, and definitely an attention grabber. These interesting creatures are harmless to people, i.e., they do not bite or sting, nor do they damage property. 

Like other click beetles, these click or snap to right themselves, or to avoid predators, and they can also fly. 

They are actually garden friendly, so if you see them, just let them go about their merry way. I've never seen one before so it's nice to encounter a friendly critter amongst the usual bombardment of ants and mosquitoes.

If you're interested, you can read more about them here and here.




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Looking Into Your Mirror

If you are irritated by every rub, how will your mirror be polished?

― Jalaluddin Rumi

Image Source: Wikipedia

Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi was many things. He was a Persian poet, a Sufi Mystic, a Sunni Muslim poet, an Islamic scholar and a theologian. He was born in 1207 A.D. and is considered one of the greatest spiritual masters. His poetry has also gained favor in the Western world in recent years.

So what is Rumi saying here? Obviously he is not talking about taking a rag and Windex® to your bathroom mirror. The rub is any little thing that doesn't suit you. It may be something as minor as being asked for the umpteenth time to take out the trash or mow the lawn, to a personal slight, real or perceived, that leaves you with hurt feelings.

Now for the mirror part. You want to be a shining example of humanity, but you can't be that person when every irritation grates at you so much that your finish becomes dull and you are unable to shine. In order to shine again, you must find a way to change how you handle the rubs on the inside so that your surface may be polished and your inner goodness is reflected in your mirror.

How is your mirror looking these days?

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A Swamp in the City

Who knew there were Cypress trees in a swamp in Greensboro? I didn't until one day I was looking online for ideas on something outdoorsy to do and came across The Bog Garden. Even though it is located in the city, just moments away from Friendly Center, you get the feeling of being in a southern swamp. It was very green with all kinds of different plant life, but what most interested me was the Cypress trees.

As we strolled along the boardwalk taking in the beautiful day, I paused, and said "I think that's a Cypress" and soon enough we were greeted by a stand of those gorgeous trees, some even showing their knees. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the knees.

I've visited swamps in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, and always find them a peaceful place to reconnect with nature. Here we encountered squirrels, chipmunks, cardinals, crows, ducks, geese, turtles and of course, man's (woman's) best friends walking with their people. It was a pleasant way to while away a few hours, and we wound up the afternoon at the nearby Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden.

As you can see, I am still alive and kicking. I've just been really busy with other projects, but thought I should make appearance and share this beautiful find.

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