This summer season is slipping away and it has been raining in the afternoons more regularly now. I cherish the changing of the seasons much as i cherish how in each passage of time there are nuggets to be found.
One of the habits i have whenever i happen to be at the beach is to crouch down and be on the lookout for nature's gems. I get fired up finding oddly-shaped pebbles and glass shards that have been smoothened out by the sand, and most of all, discovering beautiful shells that have been washed to shore.
Some of the things that caught my eye this summer vacation are the barnacles and limpets that cling tenaciously to the rocks. I find them beautiful. I truly do.
They are not as popular as their more colorful sea sisters but they are a delight to the senses. They have that rugged, unpretentious character. These little unassuming ones are my pegs for the time when my son and i went for an early morning swim and he accompanied me to comb the beach as he knew i would. I still keep the "finds" he offered to add to my collection. The moment he crouched down to sift through the sand and pebbles i knew i passed on this simple delight -- the appreciation of nature.
Nugget: a time spent lovingly with my son.
