Son has often said that if you ingest things that are slightly "toxic" over a period of time, your body will build an immunity to said substance. I imagine there is some logic in that idea since he is probably the most logical person I know. You can depend upon his reasonings without a shred of doubt. That said, even though I fully trust his word, I have yet to find myself with this overwhelming urge to attempt munching on some known toxin. However, there are some critters that do just that. They can happily dine upon things that would send the rest of the world for a loop and they do it without seemingly any dire effects.
Take, for instance, the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly. The caterpillar will feed upon vines known to contain toxic chemicals and, yet, the caterpillar shows no ill effects, whatsoever. In fact, that diet is what is its lifeline, in more ways than one. Since the caterpillar eats toxins, it is poisonous to anything that eats it. The very thing that kills other critters saves the caterpillar's life. One of the identified host plants is the passion flower vine. Its toxic chemicals stay in the caterpillar's body even after it transforms into a butterfly. This makes the butterfly toxic to other critters (such as birds) that wish to eat it. The bright orange coloring is a warning!
This pretty butterfly visited the gardens this morning and seemed to be partial to resting in the nandina bushes. Occasionally, it would flit down to hover over the lantana blooms before heading back to the nandinas. The morning sunbeams made its orange wings seem even brighter than normal making me think of fall...orange always makes me think of fall. A bit of wishful thinking there.
I love the predawn hikes to the pier that Mark and I take each day. There is just something about being out and about before the hubbub of daily life takes control of the day. The peacefulness of the morning can be seen in everything from the sunrise to the critters that are either waking from a deep slumber or just settling down for a nice nap after hunting all night.
I also love the way the sunlight plays with shadows as it dapples the yard with tiny spotlights. Even the most mundane thing suddenly becomes a spectacular showpiece. This morning as I was returning from the pier, I was astounded by something that I walk past dozens of times each day. Some simple weeds that most folks mow down or spray with herbicides were highlighted by the sun's rays. Now those "weeds" were allowed to shine! The goldenrods' beauty was suddenly brought to attention. Any other day, I would notice the goldenrod but not fully appreciate what I was viewing.
Seeing things from a different perspective or in a different lighting can make all the difference in the world. Instead of just "looking", perhaps we need to start "seeing". This could apply not only with plants in the morning sunlight but also to people. If we would truly try to see the person, we might appreciate their individualism. In other words...stop lumping everyone in one big category and look for the positive traits of each person. Let the light shine on the individual and do not let the vision be dulled by the actions of an ilk. See the beauty of the so-called weed. It is there....I promise. Spotlight the positive instead of highlighting the negative.
