Nature's Wonder

Hello my Friends!  As promised, I am excited to share with you the experience I had the other day.  After enjoying a lovely Breakfast with my Daughter and Son in Law, I ventured over to one of the parks in my town to collect some Sweet Gum Balls or Witches Burrs as some call them. I had noticed a few days prior that they were all over the ground, so I scheduled some time to visit there.  The Sweet Gum tree is truly so Beautiful! It is seriously Magestic!!!  Notice, I spell the word "Majestic" as I do because this tree is truly Magical!!!

The tree produces seed pods that are attached to a stem.  At the end of each stem is a spiny ball.

After a while, these stemmed seed pods fall onto the ground.  Notice the spiny shell?  There is a reason for that!!! Inside the ball are many tiny seeds waiting to create more trees.  The spiny outer shell is the protection of these seeds.  I like to think of that in terms of Human Nature....this is what I said about it on Instagram...
"Look at the beautiful offerings from the Sweet gum Tree...so interesting, special and protective of the magical seeds within! Today's Affirmation... life can be hard and sometimes rough but it is what's within that keeps us going...protect from the outside and nurture within to manifest true Magestic Beauty!"

I also spotted another beautiful tree at the park....The Chestnut. 
  

 Similar to the Sweet Gum, the Chestnut Tree produces spiny seed pods as well.  These pods are not attached to a stem but are in a very hard spiny shell.  Inside these shells are a beautiful big seed/nut.

 So Beautiful!!!!! Again protected like the Sweet Gum with a spiny shell but this one has a very hard shell. Chestnuts can be roasted and eaten so not only is this tree Magical in producing seeds for germination it also provides us with a food source!  
I was able to collect an entire bag of Sweet Gum Balls and picked up a several chestnuts.  Nature's offerings were so abundant for me that day.  I am so grateful for these gifts and all of the gifts that Nature provides to us.  In my gratefulness, I left an offering for Nature by sprinkling bird seed in the park.  I believe that it is important to give back to the earth if something is taken from it.  I think the birds will appreciate my little gift.  
I hope that with the Spring approaching, you will be able to spend some time in Nature.  Notice the sinmple abundance all around you...it really is amazing and so very Magical!!!

Blessings and Much Love,
♥♥♥
Milady Leela  


*Here is some information about these two  Magical Trees
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquidambar_styraciflua
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chestnut