Doin' Nothin'

So this morning I started puttering around outside... doin' nothin' much and "wasting time"...

Distracted from my intended inside chores and weaving and recent sewing project and cooking and laundry and inside stuff... I found myself called outside by the cooler weather.

Wild oxalis in my herb garden...

With all the recent storms and rain or insufferable heat and humidity... and with being able to be outside and play with friends or pleasant commitments on lovely days... I have not spent too much time in my own outdoor space in the past few weeks. So rather than rush through morning chores, I started humming and dawdling...

Yellow-headed blackbird on a gate...

Tending to the diverse bird feeders and bird bath... scouring and filling and setting things to right. Checking the various outside watering holes and feeders for cats and cows and chickens... cleaning and filling and stopping to pet every one and telling them how wonderful they are.

StripedCat in the lavender...

Pausing at all the potted herbs and flowers... emptying extra water and trimming old leaves... removing other plants unnecessary in a particular container and stopping at each to search over and see wee visitors and telling all how lovely they are.

A wee swallowtail caterpillar on the dill...

Pete also wandered around outside taking care of his to-do list... our paths crossing every few minutes. As I was finishing up, Pete walked by.

I mentioned I needed to get busy and actually *do* something with my morning.

He laughed and said, "You're already doing the most important job!"

When I looked at him, puzzled, I asked, "What do you mean?"

Swallowtail on a thistle...

"Well," he replied, "You're enjoying your day! You're like a health care worker. Only you're tending to the earth and her creations. You make sure the ecology here is balanced and right and all is well. Everyone is happy." So go putter... dawdle in your yard... hum and take care of the creations around you... I will, too.