Sometimes when I walk I’m so absorbed in my own thoughts, that I fail to make better use of my eyes and ears. Yes, I can’t fail to smell the strong scent of lilacs or honeysuckle in bloom. But I can miss their scattered petals on the trail.
I can sometimes fail to observe scores of interesting things going on around me as I hike and in my daily life. Maybe it’s because the world and the woods are so full of interesting things that I focus on thoughts and miss some sights and sounds.

hen and two drakes, a pair and a spare
Thankfully when the mallard hen waddled in my direction followed by her two drake companions, they were loud. They awoke my senses to what was going on around me in that moment, and reminded me to enjoy it. Thanks to the hen and drake, and the spare.