Without sun shining through the cloud cover, and because of a cold, I walk out with a flat mood into a flat and uninspiring landscape, late morning in Florida. We're not communicating any interest in each other: I'm looking at the foliage, hoping to see something entrancing, lovely, engaging. The dry, blah foliage probably finds me dull and uninteresting in this state of body, mind and spirit. I would rather be in bed. I turn back, head home, tired and spacey from cold medicine I wish I hadn't taken. Here, on the edge of someone's driveway and the road is a tiny unkempt garden. The bold pink edge of the succulent heart calls to me. Now I'm kneeling in wood chip mulch looking closely at the fleshy green beauties. This is why I came. Now, the sun is shining out from behind the clouds and here are some oranges hanging lushly from a tree, full of juice and zest. Here is the energy I need for enjoying this day with a cold in my head: here is what's holding the juice of life.

All photos and text copyright Kelly DuMar 2018, unless otherwise attributed