Mini Surprise

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Here’s a little game you can play. Find a small patch of luxurious moss, gather a few pebbles, and make a mini zen rock garden. Enjoy it for a brief moment, and go on your way. The next wind storm, or running dog will scatter the pebbles, but that’s OK. It’s no different than the waves washing away the sandcastle you spent hours building. Our lives are just as ephemeral.

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Turning over a pebble, I discovered two tiny snails. Up on the hill where I live, there are no snails, just slugs, so it was a surprise to see them. Amazing how just a few hundred feet of elevation makes all the difference in the world.

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Mossland

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I don’t need to travel all the way to Nanzen-ji to view a beautiful garden. I found an exquisite moss garden much closer to home. The moss is soft and plump from the cool autumn rains. This time of year, the Skagit River Valley turns into mossland.

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And where was this exquisite moss garden? I discovered it alongside the road on the way home from the post office. Maybe there are beautiful gardens alongside the roads you travel. Sometimes, all it takes is for you to stop to see them.

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