I spent some time outdoors today weeding the flowerbeds in my backyard. It was a fitting thing to do the day before Earth Day, I figured.

Mother Nature was at her best. A giant grasshopper visited midway through my time outside, landing on a small African iris I planted a couple of months back. It startled me at first, but I got used to it watching me as I weeded here, weeded there.

My bird feeder which had been empty for a few months needed filling, and while I thought the birds had come to know it as being food-less, a few perched on it today in the hopes that I’d come to their rescue. I did, and before I knew it, a few sparrow-sized birds with red chests had gathered around and were happily flinging seeds everywhere.

Lizards were scurrying back and forth across the block wall at the rear of the yard, with one in particular showing off some crazy moves. It was as though he was on hydraulics, crouching down then popping back up repeatedly and in a very herky-jerky fashion. Even a baby lizard got in on the festivities; it would run a ways down the wall, then turn around when it got too far away from its parents.

Butterflies were flitting here and there.

A the low whir of a hummingbird’s wings passed quickly by my ears a few times.

Since the temperature was warmer than it has been lately, I wore a tank top and promply burned my back and shoulders. Woops.

I accidentally dug up a few worms, intentionally killed a pincher bug and squashed a crippled fly that would’ve died anyway, removed a few weeds from the grass and earmarked next weekend for redefining the curving grassline near some bushes in the back of the yard.

Before heading back inside, I sat outside with a giant bottle of water and took in my fresh, clean flowerbeds and admired the grass that hasn’t been this green in a while. A few hours well-spent the day before Earth Day, indeed.

Today I am thankful for Mother Nature’s charms, her scents and for the plethora of creatures that crossed my path. Sunburn aside, and dead fly and pincher bug aside, it seemed we all had the same goal: to be out and about, beautifying, taking care of and enjoying our Mother together.