I don't start many threads here
I also don't write all that much. I'm an engineer by trade, and I think in numbers mostly. But these are unique times, so here ya go:
I am sitting on my balcony, enjoying the last few moments of sunlight before the sun takes its daily nap. The air is calm and clear. The sky, once azure and vivid, is slowly turning gray and murky. It has been a day like any other.
There are new blooms on the trees outside my apartment. Brilliant red blooms. The forsythia bushes have brought forth their bright yellow leaves as well. I can hear many birds returning to their summer homes, although I have no ability to identify them. Perhaps a robin here, maybe a chickadee there. An occasional dog barks in the distance, and an occasional car "hisses" by on the road near me. Every so often, a family walks by, sometimes with a child in tow, sometimes without.
There is nothing one could see from my balcony that would suggest we are living in the middle of a pandemic. The pulse of life continues unabated. The web of life remains tightly wound. The abundance of life is clear to see.
But there is more, much more going on than what I see from here. The bonds of human love and friendship also remain. The human spirit, filled with characteristics like perseverance, optimism and dedication, lives on. Inside all the apartments that are visible from my balcony, there are people chatting with others. There are brothers and sisters fighting as they always do. There are people playing cards and telling their favorite jokes to each other. There are lovers being intimate.
It is easy to get depressed over what is happening right now. The anxiety is real and palpable. But the view from my balcony gives me hope. Hope that, despite all that has changed, and despite all that will change, life will go on as before. And perhaps, this event will convince many to appreciate the simple things in life, as I have today. The birds, the blooms, the sky, the sun, and all that is wonderful on this good earth.
I think I will watch less news and spend more time on my balcony from now on.
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Excellent idea, less news and more time on the balcony. All the best to you, sir 
One of my all-time favorites - I'll probably watch it again tonight
We need more of that!
And then enjoy them up close and personal. 
But there's a first time for everything
(towards the inside so no issue with falling to the ground) and then get a small pot or plastic windowbox where you can plant some annual flower 4- or 6-packs (like pansies or marigolds, etc) and get an idea of how much sun you get. Then you can eventually get carried away and grow food and all sorts of other things!
(don't ask why I know this 
)
I am in Philly and am also on stay-at-home. The weather is still iffy too so about the only plants that might be do-able this time of year are pansies, violas/violets, and maybe sweet alyssum (some supermarkets have them - I bought some pansies last week at a nearby Acme) and if you have a little table or stool that you can stick outside, you could put a pot of pansies out there (many supermarkets that sell plants outside the entrance will sell them in more "decorative" pots or something other than the 4-packs and you can just stick that out there.
I go to the Philly Flower Show every year (took the risk and went this year and have been counting days since 
) and they usually have displays showing balcony flower/vine arrangements - even for the tiniest balconies. If you do get hooked, you can try herbs too and have a little "kitchen garden".
Whether it's in the ground or in a pot. And at least you know where it came from! 
And when the clover blooms, you'll get some happy honey bees too.
At least if you have something needing pollination, you have a ready source!!!! I used to have to rely on carpenter bees and bumble bees to pollinate my blueberries. 
They managed to do it though.
(Maxfield Parrish)
no traffic noise. By telephone friends have been sharing observations on new growth, birds and the wonders of nature. One friend whose home was almost lost to one of the Northern California fires announced the other day that "the jack rabbits are back." May we all find peace and comfort in experiencing the beauty and balance of nature and our capacity for mutual support. Peace and good health to all.
I love your attitude and it is contagious....thank you
I'm a steel detailing checker and I have a bitch about your contract drawings........
I love DU
I'm a cynical old lawyer and found your post moving.
I don't like travelling. Destinations would be good if you could teleport but I hate the anxiety, the waiting and the discomfort.
Instead I prefer to stay in my own area, learn its secrets, its hidden gems and history; become knowledgeable about my own environment.
I'm lucky to have kilometers of deserted beaches, reefs and dunes nearby. From the tracks of tiny marsupial mice in the sand, to the breeding seasons of limpets and onchidellas, to the petrified wood and ancient coal and iron beds.... There's more than enough to occupy every waking moment until the end of my life.
Peace and contentment is where you find it.
