I love the blessings and beauty of nature! Anyone who knows me well knows that I enjoy photographing and celebrating beautiful, unspoiled scenes.
When I first bought my current home, one of the selling points was the privacy, solitude, and quiet of the views behind the property. I absolutely loved sitting on my back patio. The land behind my home was wooded – so I had the luxury of watching the leaves change every fall, of watching snow fall among the trees, of seeing the grasses and leaves bud out every spring, and of watching the trees sway peacefully whenever the wind blew. It was all so peaceful and lovely.
Then, a nearby resort decided to build multi-level condos on that property – almost in my back yard. I was so upset when I first heard it – and the thought of losing those lovely views made me incredibly sad. After feeling sorry for myself for a few days, I firmly made up my mind to make the best of things and find the positives to focus on about the new development. I will admit – it was a little challenging at first. I could talk about some sad moments I had, grieving about what was being lost…..but what purpose would that serve? In the end, with a little effort – I found so many good things!
As it turns out, the lights from the completed resort are actually quite pleasant – and now make things much nicer when I sit on my patio in the evenings. The landscaping and upkeep are very well-done so it’s overall very pretty to see. I was pleased to find that the birds, the squirrels, the deer, and the other wildlife I was accustomed to are still around regularly, dropping by in the early mornings and late evenings routinely. You want to know the best part? It is absolutely wonderful to see and hear families coming and going on vacation – just enjoying one another and having fun.
During the recent months of the pandemic quarantine, things were back to being quiet again. The resort sat vacant, and our little tourist town of Branson was strangely empty. I could once again sit on my patio with no cars driving back and forth, no voices interrupting the solitude, no noisy children playing, no people coming and going……it was in some ways back to the way it used to be……and you know what? I missed it all!!!
Sitting on my patio now as I type, I have to smile. The peace and quiet have once again been replaced…..with so many wonderful sounds!!! Just a bit ago, one family of young teens was playing basketball at the nearby court. I smiled as I heard them giving each other grief, laughing, and enjoying the afternoon. Shortly after they gave up the game and disappeared inside, two little girls emerged to play on the playground. The thin little girl all in black who obviously much preferred climbing up the slides to sliding down them – and the tiny determined little girl dressed all in bright purple who practiced throwing a bright blue kickball over and over – trying so hard to get it up and through the basketball goal. As I’m writing now, two older gentlemen have emerged from the condo they are sharing with their wives and are carefully tending a meal on one of the resort’s charcoal grills. It’s fairly hot out – but they are sitting in the shade, enjoying one another’s company, and carefully checking the grill routinely. Whatever they are cooking smells wonderful – and every few minutes one of their wives walks out of their fourth floor condo to peer off the balcony, call down, and see how things are going. I’m smiling again!
The birds are chirping and the breeze is blowing, so it’s very pleasant. I can also hear muffled traffic sounds from the nearby world famous 76 Strip – people driving back and forth to see the sights. A few times each hour, a helicopter flies over carrying tourists toward Table Rock Lake. Every 20 minutes or so, I can hear the “volcano” erupt at Dinosaur Canyon Mini Golf a mile or so away, probably startling and delighting the guests playing there. (smiling again!) The young attendant at the resort occasionally comes racing down the street behind me at a high rate of speed in his golf cart, always with his left foot dangling happily out to the side and bouncing against the cart. (Who wouldn’t smile when you see that? 🙂 )
There was a time when all the noises and distractions could have bothered me. I’m so glad I made up my mind to see the positives. Sitting here by myself on my patio, I do not feel alone. I feel surrounded by people having fun. People who smile and wave as they drive by, people who are working together to have fun and celebrate life.
I am smiling again.
I hope you are also.
