When I grew up on Switzerland, my parents would always use this phrase:
Warum in the Ferne schweifen wenn das Gute liegt so nah.
It’s interesting that we always think the grass is greener on the other side. It’s not. The reason we think so is because we look at our grass so much more than the grass on the other side - so our grass becomes mundane while the grass on the other side becomes exotic.
How can we overcome this feeling and find new meaning in our grass? Look closer. Our backyards are an oasis for countless beauty and diversity. We don’t have to go to the Serengeti to go on a safari. We have one right in our own backyard!
As much as a smartphone can keep us away from paying attention to nature, it can also be used to bring us - literally - closer to nature.
Growing up I had a pretty expensive camera and lens collection, including a macro lens that cost a couple hundred dollars. We all know the best camera is the one you have with you at the time. So most of time I didn’t bring my camera and lenses when I ventured out, and therefore I didn’t have a camera. Fast forward 20 years and the iPhone arrived. Suddenly we’re all photographers, or at least we think so. Now, everywhere we go, we have a camera with us.
And then I read this article about clip-on lenses for smartphones and I was intrigued. I didn’t think there was going to be much quality with these lenses compared to professional lens makers, but I figured $13.59 was worth a try...and boy was I positively surprised!
Here’s a similar one I got for my phone, but there are dozens of other products out there, so some of your own research is required.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0179JX8GC/‘
Once you have your lenses, go on a safari in your own backyard & please share some of your close-ups with us!
Oops, I nearly forgot to translate my parents' phrase:
Why wander in the distance when the good is so close.
Or a Henry David Thoreau put it:
All good things are wild, and free.
What have you discovered in your own backyard? Let us know in the comments below!
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Tag your photos with #maplewoodroad on social media and share them on our Facebook page! Have any questions about this recipe? Ask on our Maplewood Road Community Facebook page and I’ll be happy to help. 
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