Ode to Outside

I have a friend named Danielle. She is lovely; She has shiny princess hair, a shiny camera and is an excellent conversationalist.

 

[That's her on the right, next to her amazing talented sister, Lauren]

I have a wonderful husband named Danny Lambert. He is tall [er than me], likes to drive cars in marvellously physics-defying ways, and very sweetly endures hours of Gilmore Girls boxset-viewing with me. He also surprised me at Christmas-time with my very own shiny camera. I named her Danielle, too, in honour of my wonderful husband, the Giver; and my lovely friend, the Photographer, who treads the photographic path before me.

 

[Ok, so we're a little orange here...But I do love experimenting with Picnik]

Yesterday, I got to combine the two Danielle's with the unfamiliarity of the generally-avoided outdoors, and went on a nature walk. I saw many green things. Sort of.

Obviously, I'm not super woodsy, but I do harbour a minor penchant for chlorophyll. I even think of it every morning as I attempt to swallow my ridiculously oversized multi-vitamin. The soothing green of chlorophyll in my mind has thus-far  proved distraction enough to get pills to slide awkwardly down my throat.

Let's just say that I'm not prone to being super observant in unfamiliar environs. Overwhelmed by so much outside, most of the afternoon went a little like this:

   ME: [Half-heartedly snapping a lack-lustre picture of something in a meadow-y brown/green combo]
   DANIELLE: Oh, look, a dragonfly(/flower/cool bug/something amazing)! It's so blue/red/spider-webby/interesting)!
   ME: [Bewildered] Seriously? Where?
   DANIELLE: [Bending studiously on one-knee to take a brilliant photo of an intricate piece of The Wild]

   ME: [Lamely] Oh, right there...Huh.

Instead of the wonders of God's creation, I found interest in the relatively few items of man's creation, shoved unceremoniously amidst such glorious afternoon-y splendour.

Despite my initial aversion, however, I did find one pretty incredible piece of outside that immediately claimed my heart.

 

This tree is incredible! It was so vibrantly colourful, it practically illuminated the whole hillside with green joy. It had a swing and everything.

As much as I love, love, love spending time with my human Danielle and my new favourite tree, I am yet to be converted: I got a blister, dude.