After the storm, it is almost too bright...

Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A friend once told me not to fear cataract surgery because "all your colors come back." I don't know if that is true. I am still happily functioning with cataracts in place and don't know that my colors are missing.

But I do know that life's color - the zest and joy - can wane. Life is life. Trouble comes and goes. Storms whirl around us.

We are fretters, Paddy and I. And we had been up late with fretting. Storms bubbled up and then thundered their way through for hours, making sleep difficult. We woke early and went through the motions of the morning deciding to walk a little late.

Maybe it was the sun, ablaze after endless storms. Perhaps it was making progress on the endless list of tasks and overcoming challenges. It could be the graduations, pinnings, award ceremonies and travel heading our way or time spent with friends and family. It is likely a bit of everything - and more.

The summer heat beat down as we pushed on to the park and back. We saw lizards and squirrels. A friend honked and waved as we struggled, red-faced and sweating, up the last hill.

Yes, we two old girls will have to walk earlier in the future, but I will keep today "as is." This day is my reminder to be patient, to wait-out the storm. The sun will shine. Our spirits are bright. And we move forward.

The sun filtered through the mulberry tree at the edge of the park. Berries aren't yet ripe.

This anole did not want to play, but stopped long enough for a photo. Or maybe he just wanted to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

Buds of honeysuckle...

and blooms.

Tiny yellow flower we mostly ignore. Love the raindrops.

A tiny purple flower we often ignore.

And in the yard, some bright and shiny faces:

Imagine my surprise when these "Pinocchio" scapes came up in the garden.

One has already bloomed. When did I plant garlic?

The bloom of a yarrow.