Just noticed this flowering bud on the magnolia tree in my back yard.

I’m becoming more attuned to the change of seasons, now that I actually have a back yard. When I lived in NYC, I had only a patch of sky above the buildings. A few street trees.

Now, I have 1/2 acre to tend. To learn from — like what’s healthy and what’s dangerous (like the oak tree that was hollow from ground up to 10′! and could easily have smashed my roof in a bad squall). And to enjoy — like this lovely bud that opened up after last night’s storm.

“Simple pleasures,” as my husband Joe would say.

The restorative calm of a green backyard.

A cool mid-morning breeze.

The song of birds communicating.

A mug of coffee on my screened-in back porch.

The smell of earth after a heavy rain.

All five senses engaged.