An Afternoon Walk in the Tall Grass                                            

  Dogs, and some fortunate humans, are intimately aware of the signs and symbols that Nature has provided to us as part and parcel of its own purpose; satisfying the Soul's desire for beauty.  A flower can inspire a multitude of images and emotions.  It may demand close inspection of its parts, or suggest a panoramic view as the best way to capture it's character.  A blooming flower can be wanton in its display, as it lures insects into its lair.  Or it might be reticent, as it closes its petals as dusk falls, and prepares itself for a midsummer nights dream.  Flowers have many secret powers.  They work their magic through inspiration, suggesting that; while life may be hard at times, Nature is still looking out for the creatures it has produced. A flower's survival, through storm and flood, through fire and wind, tells us that beautiful and sensitive souls can also endure through their own trials and tempests. Flowers were an integral part of that process as life evolved on the prairie.  They still play that role today, to those who are open to their hypnotic scents, and beguiling poses. 

This flower has got me transfixed.  It's got my olfactories saturated with pleasing fragrance.  It's aromatherapy at work.  I sense a growing tranquility engulfing my soul. The scent of a flower can induce a calm serenity in the heart of a creature.

Flowers often grow in groups.  They cooperate when arranged in bouquets. They demonstrate a collegiality that might inspire dogs, and humans, to live with their own fellow creatures with civility and gentility.

Like almost all living creatures, flowers need water to survive and thrive.  They translate the sun's energy into nectar to feed the bees.  The bees pollinate the crops.  Dogs and humans eat the crops, or the animals who fed on them.  The life cycle of a flower is intimately connected to the life cycle of a dog, or a human.

Sometimes flowers display their own luminosity, as they reflect back at the sun their own version of a heavenly display. Nature sometimes competes against itself, to test its own powers to create and inspire. Dogs, and humans, are the winners, in the end.

There's a generosity displayed by flowers.  They're willing to share their beauty without pretension and without reward.  A sip of water and a little sun will suffice to keep them in a magnanimous mood.

Flowers can be coy at times.  They can put on a display of innocence that hides a precocious maturity in matters of reproductive prowess. Who knew?

Here's looking at you, kid.  A one on one conversation with a flower might be a transcendent experience, if you're in the right state of mind for it.

The hardy plant, flowers in bloom, displays a vitality and physicality that a conscious creature might want to use as a guide in devising his own workout routine.  Lots of hydration, sunshine, and a low fat diet can do wonders.  

     Each flower has its own personality, its own hallmarks of beauty, and its own flaws.  It takes a trained eye to appreciate the many battles this living organism has been through to reach center stage in this photograph. A round of applause may be apropos.

Red is the color that will make be blue, in spite of you, it's true.  Yes it is.  Flowers inspire poetry and song, and are integral to human romantic gestures.  Even dogs get giddy at the sight of so much beauty, and then there's the heavenly scents.

Even lowly clover makes its mark on the world, by inhabiting places that are on the periphery.  It displays a humility, a willingness to play its part without notoriety and grandiosity.

Flowers can show complexity.  Within one bloom can be many shoots, many petals, each with its own purpose and lifespan.  The top half might dry while the lower endures.  The flower strives for perfection, but the percentages work against the achievement of the sublime. Every so often there is one specimen that suggests divine intervention.

You can converse with  a flower, or with a group of flowers if that makes you more comfortable.  Barking doesn't seem to bother them much.  Flowers are often strong, silent types.  They won't give you a lot of wordy advice on how to live your life.  They work their magic by example.  It takes a sensitive soul to hear their message, to heed their advice, to succumb to their powers.  It's an experience that never fails to enrapture and enthrall, to illuminate and inspire, to seduce and beguile.  Are you aware of the secret powers of flowers?