Happy in Nature

I’m hiding.

When you can feel spring in your hands 🌸

Happy National Wattle Day!

I love seeing those cheery golden wattles every year, but here’s the more rare and unusual Scarlet Blaze. It can only be propagated from cuttings. The original tree in the forest is gone, but the Royal Botanic Gardens in Cranbourne has managed to preserve the variety - its flowering beautifully at the moment. 😊

Spot the kookaburra 👀

Spring is knocking on the door 🌸🌼🪻

I’ve been quiet on my Happy in Nature page this year because I’ve had my hands a little full. 😊 The trusted camera has hardly had a chance to come out. But nature has continued to be present for us, as we have been for nature.

It wouldn’t come as a surprise that one of my favourite things to do is to take our little guy out to explore - be it in the backyard, bush or beach. In fact, this little gem of a guy is teaching me to look at the world with fresh eyes. Following his gaze, I stop and marvel at things that I would have quickly walked past. Like the shadows of banana leaves playing on our living room floor, or the late afternoon sun hitting our walls. Sometimes we look closely at things that I least expect to stand out, like the textures of the old wooden rails in front of the vast blue sea, or the tiny grains of sand that lay below impressive green foliage. How ironic that while the world rushes to teach a child, I’m finding myself as a student of mine.

How thrilling it is to quietly watch a brand new human try to make sense out of this planet. Awestruck eyes staring at the big blue sky, curious little hands reaching out for diverse flowers and leaves, the tiny nose wriggling subtly at the sniff of a native basil leaf, a studious face so fascinated by the sound of the invisible wind. So many firsts, so many expressions.

And it’s a beautiful feeling to see how Mother Nature nurtures our little one. I notice an enviably peaceful nap when it rains. I observe a happier, more relaxed baby after a walk outside. And if nothing else, nature bestows upon us a colourful backdrop for our precious bonding. Like when he falls asleep in my arms as we watch the sunset through our windows.

So moving forward, don’t be surprised if you see photos here that are inspired by a young soul. In the mean time, I’m looking forward to all the play, adventure and magic that this natural wonderland has to offer us. 💚💙

Dark clouds in the sky
Lightening, thunder and rain
Plants and birds rejoice.

The holiday season can be quite demanding on our energy. As much as I love the festivities, I do find myself getting a bit overwhelmed at this hectic time of the year as well.

Over the past few years, I've found it helps to regularly schedule in time for some solitude and activities that make us feel at peace - whatever they might be. Because holidays are are meant to be about rest and rejuvenation as much as the fun and celebrations. 🥰

Lurking in the ripened grass, a vegetation gobbler with watchful eyes.

When mornings begin like this...

Happy summer 🌞

This is amazing. Animals we thought were mute are not actually mute, and even plants communicate through sounds — it all just happens at frequencies our human ears cannot hear.

Many spiritual traditions warn us not to regard everything we see and hear as the truth, because our sense perceptions are actually limited. And here's science reinforcing that lesson, demonstrating why we need to drop our human biases in understanding the vast and complex web of life. 🥰

Science is making it possible to ‘hear’ nature. It does more talking than we knew | Karen Bakker With digital bioacoustics, scientists can eavesdrop on the natural world – and they’re learning some astonishing things

Breathing in, I am aware I'm alive.
Breathing out, I smile to the life in and around me. 🥰

An eastern spinebill harvesting nectar from a garden of flowers.

It's a beautiful day to be immersed in nature. 🌞 🌳 🦢

It feels like we're all turning into aquatic animals this year 🥶

Petals of red rose
Hold tiny drops in its fold.
Calm before the storm.

A piece of heaven on Earth.

A quiet sunrise
Behind the curtain of mist
Contemplation starts.

Finally managed to catch the wisteria at Alowyn Gardens this year after a couple of springs in lockdown. A stunning and refreshing display. 😍

What do you mean I look grumpy?

An Eastern Yellow Robin enjoying some sunshine and adding its own brightness to the bush.

I look out through the window and see that even the overgrown lawn glistens in the morning light. 😍 Was worth savouring before it all goes under the blade.

Steps in nature, if taken mindfully, can really help us hone our listening skills.

To hear the melodies of the birds, we have to be:
- physically present, because wandering off or being caught up in other conversations might mean we miss the bird and the song altogether.
- mentally present, because if we don't stop the mental chatter, we might miss the essence of what the bird is trying to communicate.
- quiet, because if we're going to interrupt the bird by finishing their songs, singing our own chorus or sharing our vocal tips, there might not be a song bird left in front of us.

And if we are gentle in our listening, the bird might trust us enough to continue singing in our presence.

The more I reflect on it, the more I come to appreciate that listening is not just a sensory activity or a fancy mindfulness practice. In a world full of disruptions and short attention spans, and in crowds easily fractured by opinions and loneliness, listening is a powerful life-skill to have.

I was alerted to this butcherbird when I heard its beautiful voice but in a rushed tone, intermingled with an equally loud noisy miner. I turned around and saw the two birds wrestling in the bushes behind me. Within seconds, the noisy miner took off, and this butcherbird perched itself on a blossoming branch. It was kind enough to strike some poses for my camera.☺️

Is the Sun rising, or is it the humble Earth bowing to its life-giving source?

A spring morning that planted some peace and calm in the world.

And then one day, after weeks of relentless rain, the rejoicing frogs tipped us off. The perched swamp was holding water again, enough for the duckies to make a splash in. 😃

I'll lie down and eat at the same time if I want to. Because I can.

A quiet moment that stopped us in our tracks.

Churchill National Park.

Captured by the moment. 💚

Yesterday I observed that the best conversations are had not with words, but with our presence, gentleness and respect. 🥰

How do you climb out of water when you have tiny webbed feet and no hands? 🥰

With a big burst of energy and colour, spring is announcing its sweet arrival 😍