As some of you know, after 16 years living at the end of the earth (or “the beach,” if you prefer a more accessible mental image) I have recently relocated to my home territory, the rolling mountains of central Maryland. I spent my formative years very near to my current location and welcome both the familiarity and the change.
I am happy to be surrounded by the mountains again; it’s like the hum of the engines in Star Trek – the comforting sound that you only notice when it’s not there. I am happy to be surrounded by the comforting embrace of Mother Earth in the form of these forested mountains which rim the horizon in every direction. It’s also symbolic of the promise of adventure in my new digs: the next adventure always awaits over the next hill.
The mountains, forests, and flowing water of the Maryland countryside feed my earth-centric soul like nothing else does. I loved the beach, and I enjoyed spending time learning to understand the ocean from a perspective I never could as merely a visitor, but it is a joy to return to the bedrock of my life – the old Catoctins, with their granite and waterfalls and mists. Ah yes, home.
My dog reminded me that around my house, the dog days better be every day, all year ’round! 
This morning we were greeted with temps in the upper 70s instead of the upper 90s. Now that’s more like it! The record heat this year was wearing even for a summer-lovin’ gal like myself. I’m a big fan of all the seasons, though, and will be just as happy to see the snow this winter. Each season brings its own set of colors and lighting, wonderful and unique, for us to enjoy.
Just got back from the evening walk with the husband. We stopped at our favorite tree, as we do each evening, to look at the amazing flowers. The tree is called the silk tree or, more commonly, Mimosa (aka Albizia julibrissin, if you’re into binomial nomenclature) and has gorgeous paired dark green leaves and the most delicate feathery pink and white flowers.
Here’s a great image of one from Duke U:
The beautiful silk tree in bloom
So, why am I rambling on about trees, when this is a design blog? Because I am always looking for inspiration, and nature always delivers! The delicate colors of the flowers contrast so beautifully with the rich deep green of the leaves, and the soft, filmy texture of the flowers next to the robust texture of the leaves and bark makes this a great example of textural interest as well.
The great physicist Richard Feynman stated once that “Nature’s imagination is so much greater than man’s that she’s never going to let us relax,” and I think he is correct. Whenever we need to see things in a fresh perspective, or want new insights into beauty, we can look into the forest or the sea or the meadows or the stars and see endless opportunity to be inspired by such beauty.
I hope you have time this weekend to get outside and take look around for inspiration in your life, too!
