Like most people I’m easily distracted by bright lights and flashy colors, as shown by the photos I shared yesterday from the Pacific Science Center. After all, it’s difficult to ignore bird-sized, brilliant blue butterflies floating past at eye level. Heck, I’d worry if I were totally indifferent to such beauty.

If you stay long enough, though, you begin to see equally remarkable beauty that isn’t nearly as obvious or flashy. For instance, I thought it a little strange how many leaves had fallen on to a plate of fruit, until I realized that they weren’t leaves at all, but dully disguised butterflies:

I often find myself distracted by local residents rather than flashy exhibits. It’s hard to miss the large stegosaurus in the ponds outside the Science Center, but I was more interested in the local mallard ducks who used the statues as shelter:

I’m sure some people were wondering why I spent so long trying to get a picture of this flower

when there was so much else to see, but somehow it seemed to me that its simple beauty was enhanced by that very contrast.

Maybe one day I’ll learn to pay attention to the important things in life, but, at my age that’ll probably happen when: