July 17 words

Space/capes
This little fellow visited every flower while I sat on the porch steps.   I didn't think to pull out the cell phone camera for quite a while, which is just as well, for after a couple of shots, he flew off, perhaps made aware of my presence by the fake shutter clicks the phone makes when I take a picture.

It turns out that the secret to petunias might be overwatering.  In our absence at the beach, we had lined up waterers and instead of watering every few days, they watered lavishly every single day.   I have never seen such petunias (though that most generous of flowers always seem to do well, no matter what you do)  so I will continue what seems like a rather excessive practice.   It occurs to me that there are major benefits to not being overly precise in giving instructions because that gives people the space to teach you something new.   On the other hand, it also gives people the space to do things utterly the wrong way.  

As a teacher,  I work very hard at the practice of writing and giving instructions. Natural misinterpretations are usually only obvious after the fact. Aside from mathematical processes, good instructions are sparse, I think, providing a clear structure within which there is a lot of room for thought, expression, and creativity.  Then I, the teacher, can be amazed and learn from the students.  Of course, what I mostly seem to learn, time and time again, is how little my students understood or remembered what I was trying to teach.  So I go back and work on improving the instruction(s) to see if I can be instrumental in students doing better. The petunia students always flourish no matter what I do, of course.

Maybe I should be overwatering the vegetable garden as well?  I tend to leave that to chance.
(Didn't manage to work in "capes".  I was trying to imagine myself as a wizard with a large cape who could magically conjure up the perfect instructions every single time,  but that image just wouldn't fit in.   Then I tried to imagine all the students as superheros who donned their capes and flew around like superman in the expansive space provided by my excellent instructions, but that image didn't fit in either, so I'm just going to give up.)

[katy]

Amazing to capture him at all as they seldom sit still long enough to even frame a shot! The petunias are pretty and good to know you are open to learning form others! Interesting narrative. I can't imagine a class that couldn't learn from you! I would love to have you for an instructor!

[Kathy]

It's really fun to watch the birds interact with flowers. I spend time in my sunroom watching the birds in my flower garden, at the feeders and in the birdbath. You might be able to turn off that "fake" camera shutter sound on your cell phone in the setting. This is especially important if you happen to be taking candid photos. I spent a large part of the last 10 years at work helping to write procedures. How very difficult. Sometimes you have to put the minutiae in. In one's mind the details are very clear, probably like the instructions you left, until you see someone else try to follow those directions.