Up Front with Sara Parker Pauley

I fulfilled a lifelong bucket list trip last summer to the Galápagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. Amid the string of volcanic islands with its array of exotic — almost unearthly — flora and fauna, a highlight was the famed blue-footed booby bird, its feet sporting various shades of turquoise. Our guides told us the more vibrant the blue, the healthier the bird and the more attractive to potential mates. I laugh now when viewing the ridiculous number of photos I took of these birds with their feet of brilliant blue.

We humans are wired for color. By winter’s end, I am weary of the many shades of brown that line the horizon. My eyes are hungry for the first showing of spring — I first note the countless shades of green in the newly formed leaves all around me; next are pops of pink and purple in the spring beauty, rose verbena, and redbud; and soon the warm colors of the season’s palette are everywhere. (Check out our collage of spring photos starting on Page 22).

Our winter days are dwindling now, and spring is breaking forth. There is a freshness to the world — filled with new life and renewal. I note the drab winter color in the feathers of the molting goldfinch and watch as the drab gives way to the bright yellow of the finch’s spring plumage. One need not venture to distant lands to be amazed by the vibrant color all around us. Spring is here!

Sara Parker Pauley, Director

SARA.PAULEY@MDC.MO.GOV