Michael Robert Dyet's Blog, page 37

Metaphors of Life Journal: In Praise of Mother Nature's Plain Jane Children

Hmmm, how unfortunate that we often overlook the graces of Mother Nature’s more subtle works of art as we marvel at her more exuberant brushstrokes.

Another summer has come and gone. I cannot fathom how it passed so quickly. I was determined to squeeze every last drop out of it, but blinked at the wrong time and it got away from me. In this cool and rainy first week of October, it seems the right time for one of my summer retrospectives of winged wonders that fluttered across my path.

Why not look at some common species that paused in just the right spot for a photo opp.

Click here to view this post with photographs https://tinyurl.com/y7e6ty6s

Clouded Sulphurs appear in early summer and endure well into the fall. This one had the fashion sense to perch on a patch of parched ground to show off its lemon yellow attire and faintly checkered, pink wing edges to best effect. It was quite by chance that it was framed so artistically by woody green stems of weeds and withering grasses.

Click here to view this post with photographs https://tinyurl.com/y7e6ty6s

Northern Pearly-Eyes do not have much of a claim to fame in terms of colour. But their muted brown attire, with chocolate spot band and scalloped wing edges, has a nondescript charm about it. This one seems almost to be hovering for effect on the waxy green leaves it chose to rest upon after darting about in the shaded areas.

Click here to view this post with photographs https://tinyurl.com/y7e6ty6s

Silver-spotted Skippers are quite common but always catch my eye. In this view, you cannot see the whitish silver blotch on the outer wing that gives it its name. But the angular, dirty orange markings on the inner wing are a handsome field mark. Once again, this specimen shows off its best mid-summer outfit to maximum effect against a backdrop of verdant green.

Butterflies will ever be my living metaphor of choice for the glories of summer – delicate, forever free and light as the air they float upon. These three Plain Janes of the butterfly world remind me that beauty need not be outspoken to be enjoyed.

Lesson learned: Common does not necessarily mean unworthy of notice.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ 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.

In Praise of Mother Nature’s Plain Jane Children

Hmmm, how unfortunate that we often overlook the graces of Mother Nature’s more subtle works of art as we marvel at her more exuberant brushstrokes.

Another summer has come and gone. I cannot fathom how it passed so quickly. I was determined to squeeze every last drop out of it, but blinked at the wrong time and it got away from me. In this cool and rainy first week of October, it seems the right time for one of my summer retrospectives of winged wonders that fluttered across my path.

Why not look at some common species that paused in just the right spot for a photo opp.

Clouded Sulphurs appear in early summer and endure well into the fall. This one had the fashion sense to perch on a patch of parched ground to show off its lemon yellow attire and faintly checkered, pink wing edges to best effect. It was quite by chance that it was framed so artistically by woody green stems of weeds and withering grasses.

Northern Pearly-Eyes do not have much of a claim to fame in terms of colour. But their muted brown attire, with chocolate spot band and scalloped wing edges, has a nondescript charm about it. This one seems almost to be hovering for effect on the waxy green leaves it chose to rest upon after darting about in the shaded areas.

Silver-spotted Skippers are quite common but always catch my eye. In this view, you cannot see the whitish silver blotch on the outer wing that gives it its name. But the angular, dirty orange markings on the inner wing are a handsome field mark. Once again, this specimen shows off its best mid-summer outfit to maximum effect against a backdrop of verdant green.

Butterflies will ever be my living metaphor of choice for the glories of summer – delicate, forever free and light as the air they float upon. These three Plain Janes of the butterfly world remind me that beauty need not be outspoken to be enjoyed.

Lesson learned: Common does not necessarily mean unworthy of notice.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ 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.

 

Metaphors of Life Journal: Prevailing Winds and the Distant Shore of Wisdom

Hmmm, what is this elusive thing called wisdom and how can I lay my hands on it?

Now that I am in the sixth decade of my life, I spend more time pondering the elusive concept of wisdom and whether I can lay claim to having acquired it. In all honesty, I do not believe I am there yet. It seems advisable to seek out the insights of influential thinkers who have covered this ground before me.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
Socrates, Classical Greek philosopher

You cannot go wrong with Socrates, right? Ordinarily, yes, but I am not convinced he is on the right track. His perspective seems defeatist to me as it implies that wisdom is not attainable. Looking deeper, however, I see his point. Our individual body of knowledge is but a water drop in the ocean of all knowledge. Coming to terms with that fact must be part of the equation.

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States

Jefferson’s take on wisdom also seems at first blush to be too simplistic. Yes, honesty goes a long way in keeping us on track. But is it that pivotal? Perhaps the real gem here is the book metaphor which implies that wisdom is multidimensional and more than the sum of its parts.

The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr, American Physician and Poet

I do quite like Holme’s take on the subject. Acquiring the discipline to stay within the field of play is a requirement in the journey. But nothing is written in stone. Learning to recognize when an exception applies and how to recalibrate accordingly is a byproduct of hard-won experience.

There is a wisdom of the head and a wisdom of the heart.
Charles Dickens, British Novelist and Social Critic

I think my old friend Dickens may be closest to the mark. His words speak to the essential dichotomy of our existence – the tug of war between the logical, no exceptions frame of reference of the mind and the sometimes messy but more encompassing outlook of the heart. Dickens’ great works of literature all drive home the reality of that struggle.

You will not be surprised to hear that I identify with Dickens insight because it leaves room for the role of metaphor. Acquiring wisdom is a lifelong journey, full of stops and starts, wrong turns and miscalculations, with the mind and the heart taking turns steering the ship. Marrying the two in a state of harmony is the prevailing wind that will get us to the distant shore of wisdom.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ 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.

Prevailing Winds and the Distant Shore of Wisdom

Hmmm, what is this elusive thing called wisdom and how can I lay my hands on it?

Now that I am in the sixth decade of my life, I spend more time pondering the elusive concept of wisdom and whether I can lay claim to having acquired it. In all honesty, I do not believe I am there yet. It seems advisable to seek out the insights of influential thinkers who have covered this ground before me.

The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.

Socrates, Classical Greek philosopher

You cannot go wrong with Socrates, right? Ordinarily, yes, but I am not convinced he is on the right track. His perspective seems defeatist to me as it implies that wisdom is not attainable. Looking deeper, however, I see his point. Our individual body of knowledge is but a water drop in the ocean of all knowledge. Coming to terms with that fact must be part of the equation.

Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.

Thomas Jefferson, Third President of the United States

Jefferson’s take on wisdom also seems at first blush to be too simplistic. Yes, honesty goes a long way in keeping us on track. But is it that pivotal? Perhaps the real gem here is the book metaphor which implies that wisdom is multidimensional and more than the sum of its parts.

The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.

Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr, American Physician and Poet

I do quite like Holme’s take on the subject. Acquiring the discipline to stay within the field of play is a requirement in the journey. But nothing is written in stone. Learning to recognize when an exception applies and how to recalibrate accordingly is a byproduct of hard-won experience.

There is a wisdom of the head and a wisdom of the heart.

Charles Dickens, British Novelist and Social Critic

I think my old friend Dickens may be closest to the mark. His words speak to the essential dichotomy of our existence – the tug of war between the logical, no exceptions frame of reference of the mind and the sometimes messy but more encompassing outlook of the heart. Dickens’ great works of literature all drive home the reality of that struggle.

You will not be surprised to hear that I identify with Dickens insight because it leaves room for the role of metaphor. Acquiring wisdom is a lifelong journey, full of stops and starts, wrong turns and miscalculations, with the mind and the heart taking turns steering the ship. Marrying the two in a state of harmony is the prevailing wind that will get us to the distant shore of wisdom.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ 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.

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

Metaphors of Life Journal: Renegade Metaphors in The Sixth Industrial Revolution

Hmmm, will metaphor be mankind’s last stand when machines rule the world?

We all learned about The Industrial Revolution in school. It was the dawning of the age of mechanical production beginning around 1790 with the advent of the steam engine. Lives that were formerly centered on farming were transformed as factories gave rise to urbanization.

But did you know there have been three industrial revolutions? I confess I did not.

The Second Industrial Revolution was the age of science and mass production leading to gasoline engines and airplanes. By the early part of the 20th century, Henry Ford was mass producing the Model T on an assembly line.

We are living in the age of The Third Industrial Revolution, aka The Digital Revolution, which began with semiconductors and mainframe computing and evolved to personal computing and the Internet followed by the cloud and digital handheld devices.

In the spirit of the only constant is change, we are now staring down The Fourth Industrial Revolution – an era in which more than half of all workplace tasks will be carried out by machines compared to the current figure of 29%. The experts say we will reach that threshold by 2025. Yes, a mere seven years from now.

From what I have read, that translates into 75 million jobs lost worldwide. The good news is that the experts predict those job losses will be offset by the creation of 133 million new jobs. Those new jobs will, of course, be primarily in technology occupations – a tough retraining challenge for workers currently doing the jobs which machines will take away.

If you follow my blog regularly, you will know that I have an aversion to stampeding technological advancement. High tech machines and I just do not get along. Thankfully, I will be out of the workplace by the time we pass the 50% threshold in terms of jobs done by machines.

Gazing into my crystal ball, I am predicting two more waves of revolution.

The Fifth Industrial Revolution will be The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolution and will take us to the day that 75% jobs are done by machines. The advance of AI will empower machines to oversee the work of other machines moving humans one step closer to being obsolete. Let’s say that threshold is reached by 2035.

I am predicting that The Sixth Industrial Revolution will be the “I Robot” Revolution – named in honour of the Will Smith movie that warned of its coming. In this revolution, artificial intelligence machines collectively decide that humans are too imperfect and cannot be trusted to take care of themselves. The machines take over in the interests of protecting the human race from itself.

I hope I will be six feet underground before The Sixth Industrial Revolution dawns. But at the rate technology is advancing, I may live to see it.

What happens to metaphor when the machines take over? I fear the machines may outlaw metaphor since it is the one thing that we humans will always be better at than the complex, thinking machines we created.
~ Now Available Online from Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites of Passage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ 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.

Renegade Metaphors in the Sixth Industrial Revolution

Hmmm, will metaphor be mankind’s last stand when machines rule the world?

We all learned about The Industrial Revolution in school. It was the dawning of the age of mechanical production beginning around 1790 with the advent of the steam engine. Lives that were formerly centered on farming were transformed as factories gave rise to urbanization.

But did you know there have been three industrial revolutions? I confess I did not.

The Second Industrial Revolution was the age of science and mass production leading to gasoline engines and airplanes. By the early part of the 20th century, Henry Ford was mass producing the Model T on an assembly line.

We are living in the age of The Third Industrial Revolution, aka The Digital Revolution, which began with semiconductors and mainframe computing and evolved to personal computing and the Internet followed by the cloud and digital handheld devices.

In the spirit of the only constant is change, we are now staring down The Fourth Industrial Revolution – an era in which more than half of all workplace tasks will be carried out by machines compared to the current figure of 29%. The experts say we will reach that threshold by 2025. Yes, a mere seven years from now.

From what I have read, that translates into 75 million jobs lost worldwide. The good news is that the experts predict those job losses will be offset by the creation of 133 million new jobs. Those new jobs will, of course, be primarily in technology occupations – a tough retraining challenge for workers currently doing the jobs which machines will take away.

If you follow my blog regularly, you will know that I have an aversion to stampeding technological advancement. High tech machines and I just do not get along. Thankfully, I will be out of the workplace by the time we pass the 50% threshold in terms of jobs done by machines.

Gazing into my crystal ball, I am predicting two more waves of revolution.

The Fifth Industrial Revolution will be The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolution and will take us to the day that 75% jobs are done by machines. The advance of AI will empower machines to oversee the work of other machines moving humans one step closer to being obsolete. Let’s say that threshold is reached by 2035.

I am predicting that The Sixth Industrial Revolution will be the “I Robot” Revolution – named in honour of the Will Smith movie that warned of its coming. In this revolution, artificial intelligence machines collectively decide that humans are too imperfect and cannot be trusted to take care of themselves. The machines take over in the interests of protecting the human race from itself.

I hope I will be six feet underground before The Sixth Industrial Revolution dawns. But at the rate technology is advancing, I may live to see it.

What happens to metaphor when the machines take over? I fear the machines may outlaw metaphor since it is the one thing that we humans will always be better at than the complex, thinking machines we created.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ 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.

Metaphors of Life Journal: When I Grow Old and Wear the Bottom of My Trousers Rolled - Hungry Perch

I grow old.. I grow old…
I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled
T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Hmmm, when I grow old and wear the bottom of my trousers rolled, will I look back on anything with more nostalgia than fishing at the creek mouth for hungry Perch?

In a week that marked another anniversary of 9-11 and saw dubious history made when Ontario Premier Doug Ford invoked the Charter of Rights “notwithstanding” clause to impose his will, I cannot help but be wistful for the good old days.

In the good old days, a late spring weekend meant heading to the mouth of the creek at Selkirk to fish for hungry Perch. It was such a simple and pristine pleasure. The worst that could happen was that the fish were not biting. Even then, a few hours relaxing by the water with not a care in the world were paradise. Each step of the experience had its own unique charm.

Stopping at the farmhouse on the way to buy dew worms in a Styrofoam cup for bait.

Making the first cast. Watching the line arc over the water and land with a satisfying splash.

Settling in to wait. Content to laze on the rock shoreline, bathe in the warmth of the sun and feel the caress of the breeze off the water.

Feeling a nibble. Tentative at first, toying with my patience, and then more convincing as the anticipation of the strike builds.

The emphatic jerk on the line – Perch always strike hard – and setting the hook.

Guessing at how big it might be by the strength of the fight. Could it be a jumbo? So hard to tell with these feisty little guys.

The thrill of hoisting the catch from the water and getting your hands on the prize.

A moment to admire the handsome, green-striped little wonder before putting it on the stringer to triumphantly take home.

And starting the sequence again. Making the cast, watching the line arc over the water and land with a satisfying splash. A cycle I could repeat for hours and hours with no diminishing returns.

Fishing is a perfect metaphor for life in so many ways – getting there is half the fun, patience is its own reward, sometimes the big one gets away and the simplest joys are the sweetest ones. When I grow old and wear my trousers rolled, fishing for hungry Perch at the creek mouth will be among my most cherished memories.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ 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.

When I Grow Old and Wear the Bottom of My Trousers Rolled – Hungry Perch

I grow old.. I grow old…

I shall wear the bottom of my trousers rolled

T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Hmmm, when I grow old and wear the bottom of my trousers rolled, will I look back on anything with more nostalgia than fishing at the creek mouth for hungry Perch?

In a week that marked another anniversary of 9-11 and saw dubious history made when Ontario Premier Doug Ford invoked the Charter of Rights “notwithstanding” clause to impose his will, I cannot help but be wistful for the good old days.

In the good old days, a late spring weekend meant heading to the mouth of the creek at Selkirk to fish for hungry Perch. It was such a simple and pristine pleasure. The worst that could happen was that the fish were not biting. Even then, a few hours relaxing by the water with not a care in the world were paradise. Each step of the experience had its own unique charm.

Stopping at the farmhouse on the way to buy dew worms in a Styrofoam cup for bait.

Making the first cast. Watching the line arc over the water and land with a satisfying splash.

Settling in to wait. Content to laze on the rock shoreline, bathe in the warmth of the sun and feel the caress of the breeze off the water.

Feeling a nibble. Tentative at first, toying with my patience, and then more convincing as the anticipation of the strike builds.

The emphatic jerk on the line – Perch always strike hard – and setting the hook.

Guessing at how big it might be by the strength of the fight. Could it be a jumbo? So hard to tell with these feisty little guys.

The thrill of hoisting the catch from the water and getting your hands on the prize.

A moment to admire the handsome, green-striped little wonder before putting it on the stringer to triumphantly take home.

And starting the sequence again. Making the cast, watching the line arc over the water and land with a satisfying splash. A cycle I could repeat for hours and hours with no diminishing returns.

Fishing is a perfect metaphor for life in so many ways – getting there is half the fun, patience is its own reward, sometimes the big one gets away and the simplest joys are the sweetest ones. When I grow old and wear my trousers rolled, fishing for hungry Perch at the creek mouth will be among my most cherished memories.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ 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.

Random Act of Metaphor: A Stilt-Legged Master of Disguise

Hmmm, how often do we overlook Mother Nature’s best works?

To view this post with the photo included, click here https://tinyurl.com/y7eqlq94

I spend a great deal of time in Mother Nature’s grand and sprawling amphitheater chasing the enchanting creatures that inhabit her world. I cannot help but be wowed by the striking beauty of many of her children. The winged wonders I pursue are often adorned in a cloak of many colours that is both intricate and extravagant at the same time.

But periodically my perspective shifts, often by accident or chance, and I am reminded that the beauty of some creatures lie in the exquisite camouflage they wear.

Have you found the insect captured in the photo at the head of this post? Look in the middle of the photo on the green stem rising from the grass. This master of disguise is called a Katydid – a relative to grasshoppers.

I have no doubt that I have overlooked dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Katydids during my nature ramblings. They are actually quite large as insects go. But their colouration is perfectly, elegantly matched to the environment in which they live. Unless they happen to make a leap when we are watching, they go unnoticed which is no doubt an evolutionary advantage.

A stilt-legged Katydid hiding in plain sight – a random act of metaphor to remind me that some of Mother Nature’s best work is done with the subtlest strokes of her master artist’s brush.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog.

~ 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.

Random Act of Metaphor: A Stilt-Legged Master of Disguise

Hmmm, how often do we overlook Mother Nature’s best works?

I spend a great deal of time in Mother Nature’s grand and sprawling amphitheater chasing the enchanting creatures that inhabit her world. I cannot help but be wowed by the striking beauty of many of her children. The winged wonders I pursue are often adorned in a cloak of many colours that is both intricate and extravagant at the same time.

But periodically my perspective shifts, often by accident or chance, and I am reminded that the beauty of some creatures lie in the exquisite camouflage they wear.

Have you found the insect captured in the photo at the head of this post? Look in the middle of the photo on the green stem rising from the grass. This master of disguise is called a Katydid – a relative to grasshoppers.

I have no doubt that I have overlooked dozens, perhaps hundreds, of Katydids during my nature ramblings. They are actually quite large as insects go. But their colouration is perfectly, elegantly matched to the environment in which they live. Unless they happen to make a leap when we are watching, they go unnoticed which is no doubt an evolutionary advantage.

A stilt-legged Katydid hiding in plain sight – a random act of metaphor to remind me that some of Mother Nature’s best work is done with the subtlest strokes of her master artist’s brush.

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

~ Michael Robert Dyet is 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 or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog .

~ 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.