I am in and out of many houses with my job.  Sometimes people will say their house is a mess and to please excuse it.  I always reply I’m there to see their critters and not their house.  Being in someone else’s home is an intimate thing.  It’s not about the biggest house with the most expensive objects; it’s about the character of where they live which I find interesting.  You can tell a lot about someone by their home.  I took this picture at a client’s house who happens to have a lot of land and a beautiful home.  When I asked about this old statue (who is supposed to be St. Francis) the lady whom I work for said when they were buying the house the owner requested that the statue remain, so she has honored that.  There is something about him that I love.  He is venerable and presides with a quiet dignity over the yard as birds chirp and flutter by.  The American naturalist John Muir said:

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.”

I find the most beauty in nature; perhaps that is why I love this picture so.  The best part is that it is accessible to everyone.  We can all take a walk, go to the park, or find a preserve to visit.  The peace and joy is not only free; its nourishment is priceless and food for the soul.