"Where we are meant to be...:

On a recent trip, I found myself rushing to be where I thought I was meant to be; the funny thing was I was always where I was meant to be. A month later, I am typing this blog, sitting out back at home next to my sweet Lily listening to the morning birds and my weathered fountain. It is a beautiful summer morning, and I am thankful to be sitting here enjoying it; that being said, I wonder if I headed out earlier, I might have captured the ‘perfect perspective’ of the sun's rays rising over a local establishment. Ha, the word perfect, there is no such thing, perfect, that good old saying, beauty is in the eye of the beholder; I digress, who doesn't tell three stories in one, mostly telling the story with their hands and eyes? Life is too short not to share all of those magical moments; whoops, I did it again; back on point, as I type this; I am brought back to the moment on my recent trip to Treasure Island, Fl.

As I often do on vacation, I woke up early and rushed to grab a glimpse of the first light shown by the sun's rays, rushing a bit thinking, slow down, and enjoy some coffee out on that beautiful patio overlooking the bay. I am thankful I took that moment, enjoying that first sip of coffee, looking out on the bay, and seeing the sun's rays reflecting over the water. It is easy to say now, and a month later, I should have been more in the moment, while at that moment, all I could think about was I needed to be in a particular spot to capture that image. What image, any 'perspective,' may have presented itself to me while walking the beach or walking down a local street. Ha, the joke was on me; I was where I was meant to be; how did I know this? I'll continue... I stepped outside of our stunning condo; I looked around, felt the salty air, heard the tropical palms swaying in the breeze, listened to the birds chirping; I walked down the steps and started to realize I may have been just where I was meant to be. At that moment, taking in my surroundings, I walked over to the water's edge, taking in the suns rays glistening over the bay, hearing the lapping of water coming in and out over our tiny beach, noticing the oysters the new days' tide brought in, yes, oysters, this little beach was covered in oysters!

There before my eyes was a bird, a semi-large bird who zoned in on its morning meal. Oh fun, look what I am about to witness, Mother Nature at her finest. It was that exact moment I realized, wow, this is where I am meant to be. As I anxiously awaited the bird's next move, it launched forward and grabbed the tiny crab with its beak. As I stood there as still as I could be with pure amazement, thinking I could have rushed off, and sped down Gulf Blvd aimlessly driving to wear I thought I was supposed to be missing this very moment of nature, the bird tossed the crab in the air and caught it with its striking beak starting to break down its structure. Of course, you feel bad for the crab, thinking the poor thing was just out looking for its own morning delight. However, it’s the circle of life, and I was there to witness it all. The bird continued to toss the crab around, tearing off each claw one at a time, wearing its shell with each crunch. A couple launches to the sand, with a ceremonial lift of its beak, sharp jar to the crab's shell, the bird started to crack the crab's surface, a few times of this formal display altogether weakened and cracked the crab, then it was over; the bird tosed the crab into the air one last time, one final crunch and the crab's shell was perfect for the birds swallow. This behavior happens daily, as I saw this bird fly in every morning during our stay, that being said, if I were not in that particular moment, I would have never witnessed Mother Nature at her finest.

Also, later that morning, about 30 minutes later, I saw a school of dolphins swimming by in the bay. I mean, stick a fork in me and call me good, and it was only 7:30 am.

We live in a world where Lighting Bugs fill our summer nights, Narwhals swimming in the Ocean, Humming Birds grace our landscaping, and best of all, we live in a world where Fairy Flies exist. Beauty, wonder, bliss, and joy are all around us; get out there and explore my friends.

Hugs & Love Friends,

~Angelina