Inconspicuous!

   Most folks have a tendency to overlook things simply because something a bit showier is catching their attention.   Expensive clothes, loud music, the huge house are all of the things that draw attention away from a sensibly dressed person, a bird song or a cottage.  It is just human nature.  Speaking of nature, the same holds true there, as well.  For instance, the bright red cardinal will stand out against the tiny brown wren, a rose will overshadow a wee bluet and a dolphin will surely garner more attention than a bull minnow!  That said, I tend to shy away from the elaborate things in life purely because of the attention.  I am a person that lives a much simpler life than most so it is understandable that I cherish what others deem as mundane.  I see the beauty in most everything...simple or elaborate...plain or gaudy.  Everything has its place.

  I thought of this while out back behind the canebrake.  The rains had stopped just enough for me to slip out for a few moments.  It was there that I spied the American Beautyberry bush.  Normally, this is something that most only recognize in the fall when the lengthy canes are dotted with clumps of magenta colored berries.  The bush is truly a showstopper and can be found wild just about everywhere.  Like I said...it is a showstopper in the fall.  During the rest of the year, it goes unnoticed even though there are lovely pinkish lavender blooms that precede those berries.  The blooms are so tiny and so pale that most folks never notice them.  I do!  In fact, that was the one reason I dared to sneak to the back even under the threat of being caught in a thunderstorm.  The blooms always make me smile.  American Beautyberry is truly lovely year round...often overlooked during the spring but beautiful just the same.