I have a deep appreciation for two of the worlds’ best free things, in my opinion. The ocean - and our massive beautiful skies, they both hold such mystery and peace, both can be tranquil, soothing and almost hypnotic at times and at others so busy, angry and even deadly.
Recently our part of the nation has been drenched in rain, over and over and over again to the point that for the first time in a decade, North Texas is no longer in drought conditions. The mandatory water restrictions are disregarded, fireworks not seen for years were seen this Independence Day because for once, it was safe the ground wasn’t so dry that everything was brown.
What is always so remarkable to me is how every day it’s a new scene, new colors and new cloud formations. I could stare and enjoy it for hours. The best part is that’s free. I would stick a memory card in my digital camera and just take pictures all day. I would love that. I just have no talent for photography. Sometimes I’ll take what I expect to be a fantastic shot, only to find I moved at the last instant and it’s blurry, or that I left the flash on and the coloring is bizarre.
That one is ruined by the streetlights. Although necessary, they really don’t make for great picture taking.
I believe it’s true that the best things in life are free. We take things like this for granted, the beauty that awaits us right outside the front door. If only we stopped for a moment each day to look up and appreciate the beauty that lies before us. Fortunately I live in an open part of our metropolitan area, a portion of Dallas/Ft. Worth that has been strangely neglected in the furious growth that this part of the state has seen in recent years.
This last picture here reminds me why they say Fort Worth, Texas is where the west begins… We still have rolling hills, there isn’t a gas station on every corner, it takes us a few minutes to get where we can get something convenient, it’s convenient for the people in that part of the city, but we’re not there we’re still in an area largely still considered farmland. Which is a big wow for me, a self confessed city girl. I grew up in Dallas, and though Dallas / Fort Worth is put together on every map, they are very different. Funny little bit of trivia my lawyer told me once (which makes no sense at all) lawyers in Dallas County don’t practice in Tarrant County (Fort Worth), and the same is true for Fort Worth lawyers, they don’t practice in Dallas County. How’s that for a weird little oddity?
Kind of looks like a cloud donut doesn’t it? It’s just fascinating to me, so what if I don’t have any talent? I already have a digital camera that I received as a gift. I have Adobe Photo shop on my ‘puter and that my friends is a fun program if you’re not afraid to play with it. You will find out how easy it is to alter a photograph to suit your needs. You’ll never view an ad the same again, TV or print.
Two Free Fun Ideas
Photograph Scavenger Hunt - and your objects could be different landmarks or plants. It would be important of course to spend some time in the planning of that, but even that could be fun and help you find exotic places right in your locale.
Start a Rock Garden - I know that sounds very elementary, but picture some of those really cool rocks you couldn’t help but pick up when you were young because they looked SO cool! Recapture that wonder from childhood at the miraculous things that the earth creates. Take your time enjoying those rocks, the lines in them, the colors, the iridescence of some of them. Quartz rocks were always my favorite, not really sure why, but I liked them.
I have one child, but I think if I had two or more that were old enough to be silly (because kids are just silly sometimes) you could even put together a weekly talent show. Each child could display their latest hobby, trick on their bike, skateboard flip or what have you, or they could tell you their latest jokes, sing their favorite song, all kinds of things. Kids can make you laugh so hard you’ll cry, both because you remember being so silly and you’ll see yourself in them and because kids are just generally hilarious. My son’s favorite phrase of late is, “I like cereal!”. Can anyone enlighten me on this one, cuz I don’t get it, but my son gets the silliest look on his face when he says it, his eyes sort of bugg out and he gives me the Mad Magazine kid grin. It’s wild.
My goofy child…
..and yes he’s doing what you think he’s doing there with his hand, he doesn’t know what a gang sign is, but look at him trying to perpetrate, lmao!
Kids love to be the center of attention, so take an hour a week or so and let them have the center stage, you’ll be celebrating the things they enjoy and having a good laugh, and don’t forget to take lots of pictures. 
Get the aunts and uncles involved and cousins, etc.
