Glorious, heartwarming, wonderful Nature..living with it's beauty

I think my decision to move to Colombia was based on the beauty I saw in my first moments in Colombia. I was transfixed with the colorful, moving, array of sights immediately. Once I was immersed in daily life, the walks on a little country road, I was amazed by what I saw in nature on a daily basis. A ride on a motorcycle through the mountains brought unexpected surprises and delight. Who knew parrots would fly by making their sounds that settled in my ears with delight? A mother hawk teaching her baby to hunt was right before my eyes while I exercised on my small country road. Eagles sitting on fences, or flying right over my head! Eye candy that is a normal part of life, living in the country of Colombia! Nor the fact that horses and cattle are allowed to graze freely along the small country roads.

I found myself suddenly surrounded by cattle when I got off my  moto to inspect a beautiful tree!

I would be fooling myself if I said it was "no big deal" these glimpses of nature and animals I saw during my first months. Being born and raised in South Florida,  a lot of these moments I was seeing on a regular basis, were only known to me at the zoo or in books and movies. I was filled with poignant moments on a daily basis. The first time I woke up to horses grazing in front of my home, I rushed for my camera. Little did I know these moments would continue and get better with each passing day. The unexpected was always there, and when I least expected it!

I have a really special place in my heart for hummingbirds. My daughter and I would wait every summer , when we would visit our vacation home in Tennessee, for the first hummingbird to show at our feeder. Naturally I had to have a feeder for my house here in Colombia. I did not wait long for them to show up, Colombia is full of hummingbirds, and many species of birds. This country has the highest species of birds in the world. I sit and watch them on a daily basis, fascinated with their ability to move backward in flight, and to play with each other, just as other animals do in nature. One day I arrived home from errands to find one in my house, calmly perched on the screen of my window. I will always look to this moment as a sign from my deceased daughter saying "Hi Mom, I am still around you in spirit!". I cried with joy, letting the little creature stay on my screen for awhile..then gently guiding it out the door.

Wild bunnies

Small parrots, a variety of colors fly by and land on trees as I walk. I stop and watch still, they are so full of life and fun! Colombian Amazon parrots are in people's homes and in nature. I see them in the sky , from my  hammock while reading a book. Their sounds filling the air with what I think would be them laughing! I smile anytime I hear them. Geese, ducks, chickens and roosters are on all farms walking around freely and bringing a bounty of eggs to their owners. They have wonderful sounds also, once you get used to it. I no longer notice the roosters next door calling early in the morning. I have learned to embrace the sounds. The cow that lives across the street regularly greets me when I take my dogs out in the morning. I would never have thought last year at this time, this kind of beauty would become second nature to me now.

On my various travels I run across different species of wildlife regularly, taking a moment to be still just long enough for me to catch a photo. One blog can not capture my thoughts on living in nature, my daily experiences. You will hear more from me on nature in Colombia and how it interacts with man. I leave with this thought, all of nature enjoys their life, and I look to it for my inspiration and focus.