My wife and I did something this weekend that we haven’t done in quite a while. We took a ferry across Puget Sound to attend and celebrate the wedding of a good friend we have known for a long time. We had a great time – she had waited a long time to find the right guy, and we hadn’t gone to a wedding in quite a while either. We gathered with a bunch of friends that we don’t get to see very often, and met new folks – mostly friends of the groom – that we had never met. After the wedding we stayed overnight and then came back on the ferry the next morning.

I love riding the ferry. Normally I make it a point to stand at the front edge and let the wind blow over me. But being winter, and a short ride, I stayed in the car this time. I love seeing the seagulls that gather around the ferry especially when it is at the dock. They are always entertaining and often talkative. This time I saw a new bird that I did not recognize on the way over. On the way back I saw it again with a few more. I decided to look it up and found they were cormorants. All black except their crests. The reference said that unlike other seabirds their wings aren’t waterproof and so after swimming they need to spread them out to dry. You may be able to see one in the picture above who is doing just that.

This is why when out in nature I keep my eyes and ears attuned to what I might see and hear. I love to make new discoveries. Even in the most common activities of life there are new things around that can bring us pleasure and often give us relief from the routine and disappointing things we encounter. Take a look around and see what new things you can see.