There was a definite bite in the air when I walked my dog this morning.  The air was that beautiful clear you only get when it is several degrees below freezing.  Why is it when it is cold out our faces produce stuff to freeze?  My eyes run.  My nose runs.  If I attempt to reduce nose liquid production by breathing through my mouth (putting me at risk of looking gormless) my teeth start to freeze.  I don’t think frozen teeth are ever a good thing, so I keep my mouth close and put up with the drip formation.

Okay, back to the point.  Walking the dog.  There were lots of Canada geese.  A whole gaggle were resting amongst the stones in the cemetery, all sitting, wings and feet tucked up under their oval bodies, necks extended, eyes watchful.  A flock flew overhead, honking and rustling, their bodies streamlined, their wings flapping with power and grace.  As a unit and as individuals there is a simple, universal beauty to them.  I thought of a multitude of other creatures, and all the animals, insects, birds, sea creature, reptiles, amphibians I could think of possessed a communal beauty.  Then I thought about humans.  Do we as a collective possess a universal beauty?  If I was to approach this planet and look at the creatures living here would I see the ubiquitous grace of the people?  I didn’t come up with an answer, but it was fun to mull it around.

Isn’t ubiquitous a fabulous word?