About five years ago, we traded the fast lanes of Silicon Valley
for the oak-filled semi-rural roads of Ventura County.
I find beauty in simple things, especially in nature:
a handful of acorns from a morning walk,
an artichoke at the farmer's market,
a huge sugar pine cone,
a tiny honeybee.
Update, 2025: I find the world to be an increasingly frightening place. As a result, much of my free time is spent, sketchbook or camera in hand, warding off that fear by returning to the simplicity of “noticing nature” . My current inspiration? Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, Annie Dillard’s Pulitzer-Prize winning account of interacting with the outdoors e around her home, and masterpiece of science writing, The Light Eaters, by Zoë Schlanger.
“Study nature. Love nature. Stay close to nature. It will never fail you. —Frank Lloyd Wright