The view of the creek bank from the deck. Salado, Texas
The senses. Most of us learn about them in elementary school. We learn about sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching. Few of us know what it is like to live without these five senses. Wearing glasses is the closest I come to having a weak sense of sight.
Writers learn quickly to utilize the five senses in every scene plus the addition of the senses of time and space. I've used what I call the "sense of gravity" in scenes.
Recently I had an opportunity to experience the senses in vivid reality during a visit to my uncle's home in Salado, Texas. Salado is one of the most beautiful places on earth in my humble opinion. It is hot this time of year.
Early on the morning of May 29th I slipped out with my first cup of coffee. It was still cool and a soft breeze touched me. I settled on a glider overlooking the swimming pool, the sloping manicured lawn leading to a creek, and a wooded area beyond. It was in those first moments I realized my senses were working.
I tasted my coffee. Sweet and light. The mug was warm in my hands.
I looked at several pots of blooms surrounding the deck and pool. Pansies with smiling faces, red geraniums, pink Vinca, and others I couldn't name enhanced the scene.The scent of roses, buffetted by the breeze, came from somewhere nearby. The surface of the water in the pool reflected the sun and looked like jewels glimmering in the motion.
Roosters crowed from a home down the road. It was morning. The sun was up. I heard my Uncle LeeRoy and his wife, Jeanelle, laughing like kids as they came around the corner hauling a yellow water hose. They were watering the shrubs and potted plants. Their laughter was greater than any song. I suddenly heard a cacophony of chattering. It was a group of cardinals announcing that two bright red males were flying and fighting. I watched as they flew past me and into another tree. I wondered if they were fighting over a female or breakfast.
Closing my eyes I felt the cool metal of the glider on my back. I heard the rushing of the water in the creek. For a few moments I was lost in a feeling where time was of no consequence. I wasn't concerned about helping my aunt prepare for the 60 family members due to arrive at noon. My world was contained in the area immediately surrounding me.
For half an hour I experienced genuine peace. I became aware of the beauty reflected by the senses around me. I prayed "Thank you, Lord, for this special time."