I think it's amazing when you discover Mother Nature, or any being for that matter, overcoming adversity. Just by chance or happenstance. I love being a natural witness. It connects me to our planet.

This day, I wasn't particularly looking for motivation but I found it wedged in between a crack in the solid granite that is the Canadian shield.

Here's this little plant, still flowering in October, growing out of stone with no growing medium visible and needed water within sight, but decidedly out of reach. Could it have any more odds stacked against it?

Mother Nature took a risk and she was winning on a bet that certainly didn't look like it was a sure thing.

I was left wondering if she would see these flowers produce seeds and be carried by the wind to a new growing site. Then, I wondered, would the seeds survive the harsh winter that is scheduled to descend upon us in short order and emerge from the cold hibernation, bearing new life.

In the end I decided that Mother Nature's "got this". All I need to do is acknowledge that she always over comes adversity. Eventually. She never gives up. She just keeps giving it her best shot.

My husband and I had traveled to the Muskoka area which is about a 3 hour drive from our house to visit good friends who live and work in that area full time. It isn't the city. It's rugged nature and at this time of year, it's in its full autumn glory.

Lots of lakes, stone and wilderness. It simply lifts you up with a generous dose of negative ions.

It's palpable. You can feel it in your soul...(well, at least I can.)

I think this tree is exceptionally special, because it looks like Mother Nature has been sculpting it into a large Bonsai for about a 100 years or so.

She's giving it her best shot and has done an incredible job.

It's a perfect natural beauty.

Very soon all these red leaves will fall to the ground. Until then we can enjoy the show, if we make the time to do so.

Just like the small flowering plant, someone also decided to face adversity and give it their best shot, building on a stone cliff with water in sight. I think they did a fantastic job blending into the terrain.

Their efforts exude positivity.