We moved into our house almost a year ago and although a quarter of an acre certainly isn't much space for this girl who grew up in the middle of Indiana corn fields, I do appreciate what I have. Whenever I need a small burst of inspiration or a bit of a pick-me-up, I like to head out into our yard with my camera and notice the life all around me. Living in a tropical environment provides plenty of life to wonder at and I love the thought that my small plot of land can nurture so many different forms of life. From flowers, herbs, and vegetables, to insects, dogs, and birds, there is a lot living and growing around me and it's a shame not to stop and appreciate it all. There is even rumor of a monitor lizard with babies, although I've yet to spot them, and there is a stray cat that makes nightly visits, hopefully to deal with those pesky mice and cockroaches, which I've chosen to leave out of my photos of appreciation.
I hope these photos also inspire you to stop and appreciate the diversity of life around you at this very moment!
Snail
Flower
Bananas
Red-billed firefinch
Lizard shedding its skin
Red-bellied paradise flycatcher
Red-cheeked cordon bleu
Great horned grasshopper
Ladybug on mint leaves
Flower
Bamboo
Chameleon
Red-chested scarlet sunbird
Juvenile brown snake
White-browed robin-chats
Sunflower
Carrots from the garden
Baby praying mantis on a basil leaf
Fly
Sam and Jack
Kikuyu white eyes
Chicken eggs
Ripening cherry tomatoes
A bird eating papayas
Ziz the hen
A group of lady red-billed firefinches offering food to the male