It's not what you look at that matters

 it's what you see.

Henry David Thoreau

A farewell.....................

out in my garden, where wild Prairie Asters bloom, there is an old gingerbread archway with a rock path

that leads to a tired and weathered scarecrow, who is not only guarding the garden, 

but a space that has a large container of pretty rose moss.............

the resting place for my cat..........

Salem

Isn't it strange that 8 years seems to be such a long time................until someone you loved for 8 years gets taken away?

And you realize that you didn't have enough time? 

Salem was in every area of my life...........

outside where ever I was..........making me smile.............

inside when I was busy at work..........letting me know 

he was there

always exploring the wild world of the grounds with Sophie

and always letting his presence be known in is comical way............

I didn't know that Death was hanging around.......waiting for Salem to walk off with him.......

and I tried to persuade Salem to hang in there and  to stay with me instead........... 

but he closed his eyes...............

and sighed with his last breath..............

rest in peace sweet Salem.

Looking out across the grounds around the house,

one could think that it looks very dry and barren. And in places, at most times........

it is.............

but look a little closer..........

The pumpkin vines are starting to take over the front part of the yard, 

their yellow blossoms are just as pretty as a day lily in a flower bed........

don't you think? 

Hidden underneath are pumpkins........

in every size and color...........waiting for Autumn to arrive.

and although this looks like regular prairie grass..........

come look..........

a little closer...........

and you will find the wild moss that grows and blooms all along inside of it. 

This is very plentiful and I dig it up and place it in my gardens and containers.

It does very well. 

There are also large gardens of Zinnia

In just about every corner and space on the grounds..............

and they are full of the most beautiful creatures.....

like this butterfly, who finally paused long enough for me to photograph it.........

and this large moth........measured about 2 1/2 inches..........

.which likes the cool rocks along the flower beds.

There is also an abundance of dragon flies.............even in this dry climate. 

They have managed to find the pond. 

Out in the middle of all of this............I hear a baby rabbit cry out.............

and see two large rabbits chasing away a Road Runner, with this baby in it's beak.

Sophie and I are also in chase and the road runner dropped the baby...........it was unharmed

and handed back to it's mother.

Also along  a rock wall , these beetles are busy munching the life out of this weed...........

underneath one of the rocks.........this  Bull Snake wants me to go away so that it can catch itself some lunch.

The mesquite trees are forming their sap balls. It also runs down off from the tree and hardens on whatever it lands on. 

In the same tree a spider has built it's home..........quite a large home..........

I knocked on the door trunk............but no one would come out for a photo.

So, in this dry and barren world..........nature finds her way..........

and it has it's own kind of peacefulness.

So tell me............

what kind of environment are you making your home in??

Is it dry...........barren??

or

is it wet, green.......or full of mountains?

I would love to hear!