JulieAloha

March 3, 2017

I’m grateful for the stillness, the feeling of quiet possibility you feel after a rainstorm. We had several squalls blow through today which led to low attendance at the Zoo. The rain had stopped for a brief time when my lunchtime came and I found myself reveling in the solitude of a nearly empty park, water still puddling along the paths and dripping from water laden branches.

I love the sound of running water, particularly after a good rain.

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And there’s a clean smell which rises from the ground following a heavy rain, a rich, leafy scent of turned earth. It’s fresh and exhilarating, yet peaceful and thought provoking. As usual, I enjoyed my walk around grounds, but I really felt a connection to nature and the world around me today.

Our horticulture and grounds teams have been busily working garden beds and paths around the Zoo. Today I met one of the people responsible for the path pictured above – his name is Mike – and I had the opportunity to express my appreciation for his hard work. I think he was both surprised and gratified to receive even a small word of recognition – what a simple way to positively affect someone else’s day, and it did me good, too.