I never thought much about it, but my kitchen window makes a perfect frame. As I sat eating breakfast this morning I saw the sun coming up in the east. My window faces east. Pretty soon I noticed some movement. A deer and two fawns meandered through the lawn. By now the fawns are partly grown, but still small. I think because I have a dog the animals take a wide swath around the house. I just sat sipping my coffee and watched them until they disappeared out of my “frame.”

When you really look out the window there is so much going on that is interesting. I see a small hickory tree that was probably planted by some squirrel. If I do not want it to be there permanently I am going to have to get one of the boys to remove it before it grows really big. I center my frame in my mind and try to think about how the yard would look with a new hickory tree just off the yard.

The fall colors are beginning to show. The leaves are still green, but the fall wild flowers are in blossom. The yellow goldenrod really looks pretty. I found early on that I was highly allergic to that. The thistle has already turned brown. It always makes me wonder what other wild life might be lurking in that field waiting to gad about

In school I used to give the children a string that I tied into a circle. They were to plop it down somewhere and see what they could find inside of their circle. Often they were amazed at what they saw when they really began to observe. Nature is not limited to wild life. Plants are included. If the children did not recognize the insect or plant that they found I told them to make a drawing so they could research their find when we got back inside the classroom.

At that point we mostly used books, but how exciting it must be to be able to look up some of these things on the computer. Science is a fascinating subject. It is constantly changing with new things surfacing all the time. It seems like I passed my love of science on to both my children and my grandchildren. There is not a one of them that does not like the scientific field.

I think back to when the grandchildren were young. One of our favorite haunts was the Audubon on Riverside Road. Every chance we got we took a walk up there. It did not matter the season. There are things to see during every season. One time the boys were busy chatting so they missed what Carly and I saw. A kingfisher dove into the water, caught a fish and flew off with it. What a spectacular sight.

Back to my window that has become my frame. I have had to curtail my bird feeding. With so many bear in this area it is not safe. They have already destroyed numerous feeders. That does not stop me, however, from observing the birds. Since I have flowers and blossoming bushes the birds frequent those for food and for protection from the wind and the sun. I often hear the birds before I see them.

This morning it was too cold to enjoy my coffee outdoors. Isn’t it ironic that when it is nearly 60 in the spring it feels warm, while in the fall after all of hot weather it seems cold!

One day I saw a flock of turkey walk through the yard. I could tell it was probably a family since some of the turkeys were smaller than the others. Turkey can fly, but they are rather awkward. I have seen one fly up over the house, but it seemed like he soared just in time to avoid the roof.

Crows are fun to observe as well. Those jet black feathers almost gleam in the sunshine. They, too, have a flying pattern all their own. They hop around the yard as if looking for food. Don’t you wish that you were able to converse with the animals so that you would know what they were doing and thinking?

If I was a painter I would capture the beautiful blue sky and the fluffy white clouds. As I drove up the road this morning after running an errand I could not help but notice the beautiful scene that was created. What an awesome God we have!

Do you remember to take a moment to say thank you to our heavenly father for the beauty around us? A prayer does not take long. You can pray anywhere and anytime. If you drive to work that is a wonderful time to give thanks. It just might make your whole day go better.

When I think of all of the things that drive me crazy it is usually mechanical things that don’t work that get me the angriest. If I take time to observe nature it calms me and centers my thoughts. If I cannot fall asleep I think of a tranquil place and imagine myself there. It works most of the time. I feel my body relax, then I am able to fall asleep.

You do not need to have a bay window like I have. You can create a frame with any window around your home – just be sure that you have a view of nature out that window. Try looking out the same window at different times of the day. Try to look from different angles. If you like to paint or draw try your hand at a nice landscape. As for me, I will create an image in my mind and be content with that.

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell, Pa. Contact at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.