I was reminded of a quote by Georgia O'Keefe: "Nobody sees a flower - really - it is so small it takes time - we haven't time - and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time."
Today I spent time with a meadowlark, trees, daffodils, and the spaciousness and intricacy of the coast. I understood why it took awhile to discover SF Bay. It is tucked in, and even to discover this wonderful inlet, took time.
The National Park Service has been busy in the headlands, and has installed signs with numbers to call on your cell phone to answer certain questions, such as "How long is the Golden Gate Bridge?" One might have thought to check before arrival, or perhaps to be so entranced as to check on the return home, but, no, we have some added distraction, as though the bay, rocks, cliffs, ocean, and birds weren't enough.
I did have a question when I learned from one of the signs that we have porpoises off our coast, not dolphins. What's the difference, I thought. I came home to learn that dolphins have longer noses, bigger mouths, more curved dorsal fins, and longer, leaner bodies than porpoises. My Sunday friend had a triangular fin, and a little plumpness to support his or her smile.
My mother gave me a necklace years ago that is a silver ball containing a chime. I wear it today, enjoying the periodic mindfulness "ding", and the reminder, that, I, too, am chime.