This story was inspired one day as I returned home from college and work and was sweetly enveloped by the endless beauty of nature that surrounded me like a favorite old blanket. At present, I live and pursue my lifelong passion of writing in a small community near a busy tourist town in the Ozarks of Missouri.

The sun warmed my skin. The clear blue sky appeared as vast as the Atlantic Ocean. As far as the eye could see, gentle rolling hills came into view. The scene was absolutely breathtaking.

 Approaching a huge green pasture, I looked around to see bright, colorful wildflowers growing freely. A black and white Jersey cow grazed lazily with her tail swinging back and forth in the open rich green pastures.

Glancing up at me, she warned me with a protective stare to keep away from her young--a solid black calf. Keeping my distance, I watched closely and felt my heart soften as the mother lovingly bonded with her offspring.

 My attention turned to the sound of the creek. I watched as the crystal clear water ran smoothly over the rocks and listened as it made a beautiful trickling sound that calmed me.

My hair began to move ever so slightly from the gentle breeze that was blowing. The wind felt so cool and refreshing. I watched as the red and purple gladiolus in my mother’s flower bed were swaying softly with the wind. A vivid blue and black butterfly elegantly landed on the gladiolus to rest for a moment. With the sun gleaming on his wings, they looked like rich velvet. Then, as quickly as the butterfly came, he left.

 Sitting quietly on the blue swing of my mother’s country front porch, the aroma’s of honeysuckle, cedar, and pine filled my lungs. In addition, wonderful smells of fried chicken and peach cobbler drifted from the kitchen, making me hungry.

 I felt the temperature dropping as night began to envelop the earth. Brightly, the stars sparkled like millions of diamonds. Without warning, crickets, toad frogs, and whippoorwills began to fill my ears with harmonious music--God’s orchestra for evening entertainment. This is the most beautiful sound--the sound of nature. How wonderful it was to see and hear Mother Nature in all of her splendor! Beauty is all around us, all we must do as the old saying goes, “just stop and smell the roses…”

 I live and write in a cozy community in the Ozarks of Missouri.
 
 

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