The sun is not yet up, the plants have not yet emerged, the wind is still, the sky is cloudless, and the pond is quiet.  Each of these qualities can change, quickly or gradually, and then the pond changes with them.

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The pond has no personality other than what we assign to it.  But its physical presence reacts to forces, both internal and external, and thus the pond appears to change its mood.  My mood is influenced by what mood the pond seems to have.  In some ways, I am a reflection of the pond.  It is part of my connection to my surroundings: the water, trees, soil, atmosphere, weeds, bugs, birds, neighbors and more.  The pond affects me, and teaches me, and I am content to let it do so.

The teaching began with this picture – it was the first sunrise photograph I took at the pond.