River of Surprise

Leave any apprehensions you might have outside the door. We’re not talking about alarming or dangerous or heartbreaking surprises. This is strictly for fun.

Suddenly discovering a new way of seeing something ordinary delights us.

For example, we’re always pleased to see California poppies, one of our most common flowers. But if we look closely, the wild, vibrant colors, pollen details, textures and designs are surprising.

We are exhilarated, astonished, amazed.

In our family, the notion of a surprise as a treat goes back to the Great Depression era in the small Kansas farm town of Formoso when my dad was in 3rd grade.

It all started with Mr. Goodbar.

One morning the students opened their desks and found this extraordinary gift from their teacher–for no special reason. The idea that kids might receive something unexpected and fun made an impact on my dad.

My sister and I remember shrieking with laughter when our dad came home with surprises. After all these scores of years, neither of us remembers what was inside the box or polka dot bag wrapping, but we re-live our excitement.

Just yesterday my friend, Sieglinde Fels, had a big grin as she suddenly pulled what she calls an orb from her pocket. It’s a stopper for a large decanter.

For me, it is a crystal ball, which I had admired and fondled when I visited her studio. It magically shapes and lights up images with surprising perspectives.

Sieglinde’s surprise amplifies Carolyne’s design, which also has unexpected delights.

The crystal ball/decanter stopper reminds me of waking up one winter day to find a surprise frozen beauty at the bottom of a rusty can.

That very night we have a bonfire that prompts this amazing, unexpected photograph.

Sometimes the surprise is a joke. We chuckle while harvesting olives.

When a feather happens to find me on the trail, I take it as a treasure. I love it so much I want more. I ramp up my feather spotlight and become greedy. I am surprised at myself when I easily give up the prized owl feather as a welcoming gift to a new neighbor.

After a huge storm, our local fire crew clears an enormous bay fallen over the main easement road. Look at what’s flying out from inside the massive tree.

Shifting to a macro level, we are stunned and our hearts wake up when viewing this photo, which mysteriously traveled to us via social media.

And check Leonard’s comet —

Jim and I witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime fireball during a Perseid meteor shower.

Even farther into the cosmic field, astronomers have photographically detected colors of stars–depending on size, age and distance–in this black hole art. Whoa!!

We are awe-struck and speechless at amazing images from the James Webb Telescope. This dust cloud becoming squished between galaxies has my vote for a top surprise prize.

As an earthling fumbling along through my small life, sometimes I feel buffeted about by the dynamics of social galaxies. I’m distressed, disappointed, at a loss. I feel I’m missing out.

Sometimes, I manage to deal with this by pulling out paints and brushes to imagine preferred circumstances. One of these occasions began with extreme, unreasonable, idiotic disappointment as my friends planned a camping trip at the hot springs up the Garcia River. I was sitting there, but they did not think of inviting me.True: they are all younger and mighty fit. True: I am old and scowling at the head of Frail Trail. I cannot possibly backpack and wade through a current along slippery rocks for six miles. I feel sorry for myself and grieve loss of vigor and strength. Lost adventure. Lost youth. Forever.

The painting adventure teaches me a great deal as it brings on a surprising change of attitude. Going with the river’s current is fun. We can see day and night at the same time on the same surface. We can re-frame reality.

The zoom lens reaches past 390 million years to find Tiktaalik, the first vertebrate with four limbs to hoist itself from the sea onto land.

We see indigenous hunters.

The buck is almost hidden within the forest.

We peek in on the ancestors’ antics.

If disappointment had not triggered upset over old age onset, I would not have begun the project.

These days, small surprising experiences jazz me up. Here are bunny tails we see every day as we munch first breakfast on the deck. This morning, their small, quivery dance makes me feel like I’m in a ballroom of happiness. You can hear the whirring hummingbird at the beginning.

I expect you all have opened treasure boxes loaded with surprises. It would be fun if you share some in the reply section.

And so ~ TTFN* ~

*Translation: Ta Ta For Now

FYI: River of Surprise is one of four: River of Challenge, River of Inspiration, River of Love. They are a framework, a tool of integration, that journeyed to Nancy Feehan via her mentor, Angeles Arrien.