Today it poured with rain. And we danced in the rain. Some of you know that we live in the semi desert Western Cape and we have just survived 6 years of drought. Rain is more valuable than diamonds. Despite a very damp and overcast day it feels like a day of sunshine and daisies. Within hours we'll notice a vibrancy across the mountains, fields and gardens. Rain brings hope and new life.
To celebrate I'm sharing these photos which are really special to me. They were taken in April towards the end of the season of sunflowers and Jerusalem artichokes that grow so bountifully across our homestead. Each close up shot reveals a hidden beauty. Instead of being overwhelmed by a drought. Instead of being overwhelmed by the storm. Instead of simply passing the flowers - as beautiful and fragrant as they may be. Stop.
Get your noise in those petals. Breathe. While you're there look really closely. The signature way in which each flower, stalk, leaf, root has been created is mindblowing. The magnificent shades of colour that no artist can replicate. The intricate veins. The creases of the petals. The pollen loaded centre. The delicate hair covering the stem. And then there are all the little creatures that find safety and nourishment on the plants. Breathtaking.
It is also encouraging to see how, no matter what cost or effort, we could never build a house so magnificent and complete! Even on our homestead - as hard as we strive for self-sufficiency - it takes a lot of time, and money, to survive. I love our home but it certainly doesn't make it's own food! And it certainly doesn't self clean!
Today has been a good day to celebrate. I'm also excited to be submitting this, my first ever entry, to the Photography Lovers Macro challenge. All the photos are my own taken with my reliable little Canon. For those wanting to join the photography fun (
@badge-696969/bringing-back-the-community-photography-contest-macro-theme
