An Instrument of Magic

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." - Roald Dahl.

The gardens in winter are full of wonderful things. Oh, you may not see the tiny green growing plants or the brilliant colored blooms in January that you will find there in April or September, but there is magic just the same.

It had been two weeks - which is to say, far too long - since I'd been there, so I visited the Arboretum on this morning. I found a great array of textures and shapes to interest me: leafy things, spindly things, frozen things.

The only thing that wasn't there was snow. But that was fine; there is plenty of time for that. The lack of it actually made it much easier to get around. And so I strolled around the grounds and headed to what might be my favorite place there now: the children's garden called Childhood's Gate.

The picture above includes the best toy in that space: the garden kaleidoscope that waits just beyond the colorful transformation canopy over the entryway. What lies within the huge bowl beneath the kaleidoscopes can vary by season, but it always includes items from the gardens.

On this day, that meant greens, and very large pine cones, and even a shiny Christmas ball in the very center. I placed my silver wedding band on the golden ball - the word LOVE exposed - I'm not even really sure why, it just felt right, and good.

And then I carefully approached the lenses and looked down in, and wiped away a bit of dampness, then gently spun the moving parts, making nature's art that changed from moment to moment, placing my camera at the viewing end and snapping pictures as I played.

I've included in the extra photos one of the sights I saw, some of the art I made. You will recognize the greens, the pine cones, the golden ball, with my ring of LOVE atop it. (For those who enjoy this sort of thing, here's a link to a prior image viewed through the kaleidoscope: succulents that time.)

And I thought to myself how lovely were the items they selected, all those textures and shapes and colors; but how perhaps even more lovely and joyful were the patterns I made, and viewed, and photographed.

Here are some words of wisdom that I have learned: It's not always what is actually there that's most important, but how you see it; what you make of it. So says the instrument of magic on this day.


The soundtrack: Steve Miller Band, with Abracadabra.