Michael Robert Dyet's Blog, page 27

Lessons Learned from a Child’s Moment of Delight

Hmmm, where better to
turn for perspective than the eyes of a child?

It has been a troubling
week. COVID-19 and the restrictions around it continue to weigh heavy on us.
News that several major retail corporations have filed for bankruptcy, in part
because of the COVID-19 lockdown, gives us more cause for concern about the
state of the economy.

The unfortunate
highlight, or perhaps I should say lowlight, of the week was the shocking case
of George Floyd’s death and the police officers involved. The violent protests
across the U.S. and Canada stirred the already boiling pot.

We all deal with stress
differently. One of my tactics is the comfort of routine. My daily work at home
routine includes 15 minute walks mid-morning and mid-afternoon and a 30 to 40
minute walk around the neighbourhood at the end of the day. Structure keeps me
sane.

These walks also give me
time to observe human behaviour. It is very much a mixed bag out there these
days.

On the one hand, some
people are getting back to normal. Sitting on their porches drinking coffee and
reading the newspaper. Talking their dog for a walk, or letting their dog walk
them, as the case may be. Teaching their kids to ride a bicycle. Doing home
improvement projects.

On the other hand,
distrustful people still peer out their windows with displeasure as if I am being
irresponsible being outdoors. I have seen people wearing a face mask while
cutting their grass or just stepping out to pick up the newspaper. Hand-made do not enter if… signs are still
plastered on store doors and windows.

We are still a society divided
at present. But earlier I witnessed a scene that brought a smile to my face and
gave me hope for our collective consciousness.

A young father was washing
his car using a spray gun attached to a garden hose. His daughter, who appeared
to be 3 or 4 years of age, was intent on getting in on the act as young
children do to stay at the center of their parents’ lives.

The father paused a
moment to send a spray of water over his daughter. The child shrieked in
delight, giggled, toddled away on her small legs, and then came back for more.
Another spray of water, another shriek and giggle. Another retreat and return.
I could not help but smile and be reassured at the heartwarming scene.

I do not know how much
the child understands about COVID-19 and its impact. She may be too young to
fully grasp what is happening. But at the same time, she is likely aware that
things are not quite normal. But she is not letting the situation dampen her
spirits. We can take valuable lessons in the current environment from this
carefree child.

Lesson: Take pleasure in the simple things. Lesson: Live fully in the moment. Lesson: Have faith that life is
essentially good and can be trusted to see us through today. Lesson: Tomorrow is a day away and not
to be worried about until it arrives.

So let us take delight
in the simple moments. They may be fleeting. But if we string such moments
together, they become a treasured necklace we can wear to carry us through the
trying days when life is not so kind.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make
Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the
right sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

COVID-19, Larry Crowne and the First-Time-Evers

Hmmm, will there be a
happily ever after for those who fell between the cracks in the COVID-19
restrictions?

Earlier this week, I
watched Larry Crowne on television.
It is a 2011 Tom Hanks movie which I saw at the theatre and watched a couple of
times on television. I am a big Tom Hanks fan, so I enjoyed it one more time.
In this period of lockdown, we are spending a lot of time in front of the flat
screen re-watching favourite shows and movies.

In the event that you
have not seen the movie, (spoiler alert) it is the story of a divorced,
middle-aged man who loses his job at a big box store. Circumstances compel him
to give up his house, swap his gas-guzzling SUV for a scooter and take a job as
a short order cook. He also enrols in a community college and falls for an
instructor played by Julia Roberts.

Larry
Crowne is a quaint
and charming, feel-good flick. However, it occurred to me that the character
Larry Crowne could be viewed as a metaphor for the times in which we are
living. A large percentage of the working population has been furloughed because
of COVID-19. No money coming in to pay the bills, except what can be obtained
from the government support program assuming one qualifies.

For those who were
unfortunate enough to already be living on the edge financially, it must have
been like having the well-worn rug pulled out from under them without warning.

In the townhouse complex
I live in, several units were vacated abruptly in the early weeks of the
lockdown. These were not end of the month, moving to a bigger place situations.
They had all the earmarks of our bank
account is empty, we’re behind on the rent/mortage, we’re out of options
bug outs.

I feel for this people
whose livelihoods, one might argue, have been sacrificed for the proverbial greater
good.

It can be said that there
were no better alternatives under the circumstances. But that is small comfort
to the people affected. I confess that I am conflicted on this point. I am one
of the lucky ones whose job has continued uninterrupted beyond the requirement
to work at home. A part of me feels guilty at my good fortune.

Unprecedented decisions with far reaching ramifications were made, by those in positions of authority whose job descriptions include difficult judgment calls, in the interest of the health and safety of the public.

Not everyone agrees with
those decisions. Last weekend, a thousand people gathered in Toronto’s Trinity
Bellwoods Park to express their displeasure. While I do not condone their behaviour,
I understand it to be a calculated act of civil disobedience to make a point.

We have experienced a lot of first-time-evers in the last couple of months. For the first-time-ever, heathy people were effectively quarantined. For the first-time-ever, shopping malls became ghost towns for an indefinite period. For the first-time-ever, physical distancing became not rude, but a legal requirement and a social imperative.

COVID-19 was the impetus to change the rules. And oh my, change they did. For better or for worse, civil liberties have been compromised in the short term. Some contend things will never go back to the way they used to be. I get an uneasy feeling when I hear that proclamation. When the rules are bent, experience shows that the pendulum often does not shift back all the way.

In the movie, Larry
Crowne lived happily ever after. Sadly, that will not be the case for many in
the current circumstances.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka That Make Me Go
Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the
right sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

Preparing for the New Normal: We Each Have a Say

Hmmm, who gets to
determine what the new normal will
be?

For the past couple of
months, I have stuck to my “Up Close and Personal” post series with photos of
butterflies and dragonflies from summers past. It was a conscious decision to
forgo commentaries and inject some of the beauty of nature into your lives as
an antidote for the COVID-19 lockdown.

Now we are beginning to
emerge, in baby steps, on the other side of that period of restraint. #flatten the curve and #stayhome are beginning to give way to #the new normal. We are being told that
life as we once knew it has been flipped on its head forever.

There is no question
that what we have been through is breeding change. The question is: How much
change? Will it be a full 180º shift? Or only 90º or as little as 45º? I am not
sure quite where the dial will ultimately land, but I believe we each have some
influence over it.

A bit of perspective: normal is not a constant and never has
been. What is normal for you might not be normal for me. What was normal for me
at the age of 30 is very different from my normal at the age of 62.

For elected officials, normal is defined as whatever point of
view is most likely to get them elected and into a position of power. But do
not get me started on that rant!

Temporarily overshadowed
at the moment is the fact that we already live in a world of constant change.
What was normal six months ago might be antiquated today even without the
impetus of a pandemic.

So, how do we chart a
path through the uncertainties ahead? Let me use a real-life example to show
the way.

Last Sunday morning, I
fired up my laptop to log onto my church’s streamed service. Alas, no internet
connection. After muttering a few four letter words, the following conversation
took place between me and my less reactionary alter ego.

Are
you done cursing? Reboot the modem, Michael.

Right,
of course. What the (expletive deleted)? No lights on the modem at all!

Are
you done cursing? Hit reset on the power bar, Michael.

Right,
of course. Damn, still no lights on the modem at all. What the (expletive
deleted)?

Are
you done cursing? Check the electrical breakers, Michael.

Right,
of course. Ah yes, the breaker tripped. Flip it back on. Modem working now.
Internet working now. All good.

What is the point in
relaying this internal debate? Simply this: Before we brace for what may be, we
need to hit the reset button on our individual lives. Take some time to
recalibrate and make an informed decision about what today and tomorrow will
look like.

In the process, we have
to ask ourselves a fundamental question. Do I want to live in fear and make
decisions accordingly, or get on with my life and choose joy over fear? As for
me, I choose joy

Here is the tough part.
Taking that control and making that decision may mean saying to some people
around us: You go your way and I’ll go mine. Never an easy choice, but having
the courage of our convictions is what will steer each of us safely into a new normal of our own choosing.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make
Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the right
sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

The Butteflies of Spring: Up Close and Personal

Hmmm, have the early
season species wondered about the lack of human admirers this year?

Spring has returned
after a very unwelcome late blast of winter. COVID-19 restrictions are
loosening. Alas, the conservation areas, now permitted to welcome us, are not
yet ready to open their gates. Such bitter disappointment for the May holiday
weekend! The early season species will have to wait another week before we
arrive to waltz among them.

So let’s get up close
and personal, in virtual fashion once again, with specimens from summers past.

MOURNING CLOAK

Forget about Robins.
Mourning Cloak’s are the definitive first sign of spring. Emerging in the first
thaw in early April or even late March. Enjoying a remarkably long life span by
butterfly standards. The generation born in early summer hibernates through the
winter and emerges again in spring. Quite regal with its chocolate brown cloak
with creamy border and blue spot band.

QUESTION MARK

A charter member of the
Comma butterfly family, named after the comma shaped white mark on the dead
leaf pattern of the outer wing. The dot below the comma, forming a stylized question
mark, gives this species its name. Early season specimens are adorned with this
white frosting on the wing edges. Rumour has it some are migratory.

RED ADMIRAL

A cousin of the Mourning
Cloak. Found almost everywhere from forest clearings, stream sides, fields,
gardens and city parks. Pugnacious little devils – darting out at almost
everything crossing their territory. So common I take them for granted and have
to remind myself of their particular beauty. This specimen displayed its
colours to full effect by perching on the ground.

EASTERN COMMA

Tough to distinguish
from its sibling the Question Mark. Lacks the dot below the curved line that sets
apart that species. Very skittish and camera shy. Dashes off and flies
erratically when approached. But ever so photogenic perched diagonally on a
white wildflower with a sprig of oat grass for perspective.

Beauty can be a
contagion too. No social distancing here. Get up close and personal. It is allowed.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make
Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the
right sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

Spiketails: Angel Wings of Gossamer Up Close and Personal

Hmmm,
will I be out in the fields in time to marvel at the angel wings of gossamer
once more?

There
is at last a glimmer of light on the horizon in this time of COVID-19 lockdown.
The much anticipated flattening of the curve is finally happening. In turn, the
first signs of a new version of spring is peeking its head out of the
quarantine winter we have been caught in.

So it
seems appropriate to focus the latest Up
Close and Personal post on my favourite dragonfly species: Spiketails. They are by nature secretive
and hard to find not unlike we all have been of late. There are three found in
this area.

TWIN-SPOTTED SPIKETAIL

Named
after the paired yellow spots on the abdomen. Hard to find, but reliably hangs
out in early summer around the foot bridge at my favourite summer haunt.
Exquisite translucent wings on this perfect specimen.

Angel
wings of gossamer. Light passes through them as if through an invisible prism.

ARROWHEAD SPIKETAIL

Named after
the dramatic yellow arrow-shaped spots on the abdomen. Uncommon in these parts.
In my many years of dragonfly sleuthing, I have only come across two of them.
This one clings precariously on a tiny weed stem.

Angel
wings of gossamer. Almost lost in the soft blur of greenery.

DELTA-SPOTTED SPIKETAIL

Named
after… Well, to be honest, I don’t really understand the name. But yes,
challenging to distinguish from the Twin-Spotted.
Consider it the slightly smaller cousin. This one perches in picturesque
fashion on the smooth bark of a tree trunk.

Angel
wings of gossamer. Delicate lacework like the finest cotton.

Beauty can be a
contagion too. No social distancing here. Get up close and personal. It is
allowed.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make
Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the
right sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

Elusive and Effusive Skippers: Up Close and Personal

Hmmm, is that a glimmer
of hope on the horizon?

The weeks of COVID-19
lockdown are getting to us all. As the days grow warmer and the sun beckons us
to step out and enjoy its warmth, our impatience grows. There is a glimmer of
light, of hope, on the horizon that both tempts us and taunts us.

Once more I turn to my beloved
winged wonders for a virtual release. Today I focus on the elusive and effusive
Skippers – the tiny but energetic members of the butterfly family for which I
have come to have a particular affection.

European
Skipper

An accidental species.
Introduced here a full century ago. As common as weeds in early July. But such
an exquisite sense of where to perch to best effect.

Crossline
Skipper

The name makes no sense.
Unless it spreads its wings. Not often inclined to yield such a view. We take
our pleasure where we can. The pale spotband and big brown eye are enough.

Delaware
Skipper

At home in wet grassy
habitats. Elegant in unmarked golden yellow on the outer wings. Just the hint
of a fringed edge. Simple and common. But elegant in its own right.

Northern
Cloudywing

Found of flowers and
mud. Often found on the ground. Not a beauty in traditional terms. Clouded
shades of brown. Triangular wing spots. Easy to miss. A delight to observe.

Common
Roadside Skipper

Strangely misnamed.
Found sparingly in woodland edges, openings and streamsides. Framed here by an
arching grass stems that seem to bend in worship.

Wild
Indigo Duskywing

Maddeningly difficult to
distinguish from its duskywing cousins. Will not win any beauty contests. But
here, against a blurry backdrop, display itself to full effect.

Beauty can be a
contagion too. No social distancing here. Get up close and personal. It is
allowed.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make
Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the
right sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

Memory Snapshots of Winged Wonders: Up Close and Personal

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Hmmm, when the tally of
our days in this life is taken, will it be the small moments of simplistic joy
that stand out?

The fourth in my “Up
Close and Personal” series of posts injecting little gems of beauty into our
lives as physical distancing keeps us
in lockdown. Today I revisit memory snapshots of winged wonders from summers
past – aka Diary of Unabashed Nature Geek.

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Memory
Snapshot: Riffle Snaketail

Early June. Kortright
Centre for Conservation. Strolling down in the valley along the river. Good
time for Clubtails. There’s one. Oh, a Snaketail! Rarely see one of them. A
Rusty? Check the field guide. No, maybe a Riffle Snaketail? Clear stream, sandy
bottom, rocky rifles – it all adds up. A lifer!

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Memory
Snapshot: Coral Hairstreak

Early July. Palgrave
Conservation Area. The footpath cutting through the meadow towards the first
swamp pond. Always a promising stretch. Scanning right and left. Something just
popped up in the weeds. Creep closer. Closer. Coral Hairstreak! Not quite a
lifer, but the only second one I’ve ever set eyes on.

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Memory
Snapshot: Spatterdock Darner

Early July. Forks of the
Credit Provincial Park. Wrapping up the day on the trail back to the parking
lot. Let’s scramble up that hill through the wildflowers. A mosaic Darner
perched low in the grass. Probably a Lance-tipped. No, look at that thorax
stripe. That’s new! Check the Field Guide. Spatterdock Darner. A lifer!

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Memory
Snapshot: Variegated Fritillary

Early July. Claireville
Conservation Area. The main north-south road nearing the intersection with the
east-west road. Something fluttering just off the road. A Fritillary, but not a
Great Spangled. A Variegated! Unusual this far north. Must have been blown
north by the epic rain storm a few days ago.

Memory
Snapshot: Mottled Darner

Early July. Forks of the
Credit Provincial Park. The trail through trees along the ridge. A sunny glade.
There – a mosaic Darner perched on a tree trunk. Hmmm, rather muted colour. Oh,
look at that hooked thorax stripe. Check the field guide. Mottled Darner – a lifer!

Beauty can be a
contagion too. No social distancing here. Get up close and personal. It is allowed.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make
Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the
right sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

The Romance of Butterflies and Wildflowers: Up Close and Personal

Hmmm, is it by choice or
by chance where they play out their romance?

The third in my “Up
Close and Personal” posts – taking respite in the arms of nature in the
interests of prying us away from the doom and gloom newscasts as we remain in
lockdown.

Butterflies and
wildflowers have an ongoing romance. The winged wonders get to choose who they court.
Let’s find out why they choose the lovers they do.

DION
SKIPPER

What can I say! You can
never go wrong with sunshine yellow in a summer meadow. When in doubt, go
bright!

GREAT-SPANGLED
FRITILLARY

Share the limelight?
Never! When you are as stunning as I am, pale pink against a field of green is
the way to go.

HOBOMOK
SKIPPER

I’ve always had a thing
for purple. Don’t ask me why. It makes me so happy I just have to hang upside down
and defy gravity.

MONARCH

Yes, Milkweed patches are where I usually hang out. But this cluster of powder blue stars beckoned as I floated by. I swear they were calling my name!

PINE
ELFIN

You must understand that
your options are limited when you’re an early season species like me. You take
what you can get. But this yellow baby ain’t half bad!

WOOD
NYMPH

I am not particularly
colourful as butterflies go, so pale purplish-pink is a good choice for me, don’t
you agree? And yes, I am watching you with my one little eye!

Beauty can be a
contagion too. No social distancing here. Get up close and personal. It is allowed.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com . ~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That
Make Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog:
How To instructions page in the right sidebar. If you’re reading this post on another social
networking site, come back regularly to my page for postings once a week.

Dragonflies and Damselflies: Up Close and Personal

Hmmm, if they could
speak our language, what would they say as I snap their photo?

The second in my “Up Close and Personal” posts offering a brief escape to the beauty of nature as we remain in stay-at-home lockdown. Today I am playing caption that photo just for the fun of it.

Black-tipped Darner

Beat it. I’ not sure what this gnarly thing is that I caught, but it’s mine and I’m not sharing it.

Blue-fronted
Dancer Female

Houston, we have a
problem. There are some crazy craters in this funky green moon.

Mating
Canada Darners

Coitus interruptus. Do
you mind? We’re kind of busy here.

Delta-spotted
Spiketail

She’s always late! I’ll
wait another 5 minutes and then I’m out of here.

Eastern
Amberwing

Yes, I’m posing. It’s
hard to be humble when you’re just plain stunning!

Lilypad
Clubtail

All the greenery around
here and I had to land on a prickly thistle. Where’s a lily pad when you need
one.

Orange
Bluet

Yes I’m a Bluet, but I’m
orange. Do you have a problem with that? Well, do you?

Beauty can be a
contagion too. No social distancing here. Get up close and personal. It is allowed.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make
Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the
right sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

Butterfly Bonanza: Up Close and Personal

Hmmm, just sit back,
breath deep and enjoy the beauty.

In times such as these,
unprecedented times when the world seems to be unravelling, let us escape for a
few moments of wonder. Bask in the breathtaking beauty of nature. Minimal
words.  Stream of consciousness. Just
enjoy.

BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT

Simply stunning. I
remember the first time I spotted one. My heart stopped. Literally. You had to
be there. It is a nature geek thing.

ORANGE
SULPHUR

The butterfly or the
flower – which one is the subject? Does it really matter?

BLACK
SWALLOWTAIL

Suspended in space. In
time. A miniature stingray in a sea of green. Can you see it? Keep trying.

CANADIAN
TIGER SWALLOWTAIL

Perpetually picturesque.
Never takes a bad photo. Not ever. Trust me. I have tested the theory.

SILVER
SPOTTED SKIPPER

Silver on earthy brown.
Flashes of orange. A puffball of white filaments. A moment in time, which may
not ever come again.

MILBERT’S
TORTOISESHELL

A volcano of colour.
Erupting from a palette of grey. Wait for it. You will see it.

GREAT
SPANGLED FRITILLARY

Spangled glory. Beyond
words. An infallible sense of how to show itself off.

Beauty can be a
contagion too. No social distancing here. Get up close and personal. It is
allowed.

~  Now Available Online
from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of
Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is also
the author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel which
was a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’s
website at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

~ Subscribe to Michael’s Metaphors of Life Journal aka Things That Make
Me Go Hmmm at its’ internet home www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog2 . Instructions for subscribing
are provided in the Subscribe to this Blog: How To instructions page in the
right sidebar. If
you’re reading this post on another social networking site, come back regularly
to my page for postings once a week.

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