I’m fortunate enough to live in a wee town where there are a number of different walks I can do from my house. Most of the time, I’ll confess, I’m busy playing Wizards Unite. Today, being bored of this game, I thought I’d go in search of gold.

Spring is the perfect time to look. Suddenly the earth opens up and gold is revealed everywhere. At first, my plan was to simply look at the shades of yellow found in flowers. Yet quickly I was distracted by the gold hidden in new leaves, variegated leaves, lichen and much more.

Had I been greedy and gone for more treasure: emeralds, sapphires, rubies and diamonds, I think I’d have been distracted. My heart and head would have missed the subtleties of the hidden gold. Focusing on one treasure at a time brought my quest alive. From a learning perspective, the language used to discuss the shades, hues and tones of gold and yellow went beyond basic descriptions.

The other excitement was collecting the gold. Rather than picking examples to press or rub or stick on a band, I went for photography. These days mobile phones and tablets have great cameras and close up pictures are possible.

The apps are amazing. They make a simple challenge like this suitable for all ages. Some children will just want to snap away. Others may want to make curated collections using apps such as Pic Collage or Fotor.

My favourite though was Brushstroke. It can turn a bland photo into one where the detail can be examined in a different way. Have a look at the photo above.

Here’s hoping there’s plenty of gold where you live too… the sun’s rays have been scattered, captured by the earth and revealed with the longer days and summer approaching. Nature’s golden cycle. Enjoy!

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