Diamonds in the Grass
Nature's jewels are one step away
November brings with it misty, murky mornings. There is often fog to peer through, the air dense and damp. The fallen leaves are beginning to break down and become soggy, a necessary step in the decaying process. The last of the Autumnās vibrant colour obscured by the grey, cloudy atmosphere.
Today is no different, exceptā¦
Thereās a cinder toffee smell in the air, the remnants from the blazes of sparkles that splattered the the sky last night. The noises were deafening, I was transported back to the time, not so long ago, my aged, petrified golden retriever shook and whimpered and looked at me with such horror in his eyes, begging me to make it all go away. So, my morning walk allowed me to reset and be thankful that those noises are over for another year. I am sure that every dog that suffers for this tradition feels the same.
Millions of diamonds
My retriever was in my thoughts as I walked to his favourite field. On entering through an small, iron gate, I stood for a few moments, mesmerised by an expanse full of tiny diamonds, cradling the emerald carpet. Each one was catching the sunās light, making them sparkle and glisten. I had never seen it looking this way before. I had my phone camera out in no time, yearning to capture this moment before the sun rose any further and began to vapourise the show. When I got up close and looked at the detail in each perfect sphere, I could see the blades of grass magnified and slightly bent in each drop, obeying the laws of refraction perfectly. How were they hanging on and defying gravity, how did they come to form in such abundance and why this particular field and not other areas of grass along my walk?
Sometimes it is good to know the mechanics of why things happen the way they do, there is a scientific reason for most things we witness in nature (just google dew drops, surface tension, dew point, condensation if you want to find out more). But the emotions you witness in your heart when you see something in nature that takes your breath away is, I feel, of equal importance.
Be in the moment
As I have grown older, I have become less inquisitive about seeking reasons for natural phenomena and have just learnt to enjoy the moment and the display that it serves up for us on a daily basis. The thing with nature is that it is ever changing, transitory and needs to be enjoyed in the here and now, blink and you will probably miss it! Think sunrise, a flash of forked lightening, a perfect dandelion clock and a dew drop on a blade of grass. When I returned to the same field just a few hours later, the diamonds had all disappeared. Will I ever witness such a sight ever again? Never, because the sun and dew drops will be in different positions and I will have changed, as we all do from moment to moment.
I have now made it my mission to notice dew ādiamondsā elsewhere in my world and have shared some of them with you today. I hope they bring you joy too.
I am curious:
What natural day to day spectacle takes your breath away?
What part of nature makes you wonder how it happens?
If you have enjoyed reading this today, please share it with people you know who would like to read about the wonder of nature.
(In memory of Ewan, my beloved oldie, Goldie 2008-2022ā¤ļø )
I was transported to your sparkling emerald field there, sad for your loss. I feel tremendously lucky never to have mislaid my feelings of awe and wonder, so pretty much all of nature is fantastical to me. The whole cyclical efficiency makes my eyes water, and the first signs of spring make me cheer that even after all the destruction, she keeps on coming back. I love that so much.