At the end of every summer, I vow that I am not going to plant as many pots on my patio.

Trying to keep everything alive during the scorching August heat is not nearly as fun as watching the flowers bloom in the spring.

But after a cold and rainy winter, I make a beeline to the flower centers at the first sign of warm weather and load up my buggy — totally ditching my promise to cut back.

This year, I even added to my collection of containers since I found so many pretty plants and because hubby put in a brick addition to the backyard space.

A perfect excuse for more, don’t you think?

I can’t describe how my backyard oasis has made me smile. It has also welcomed birds, one of which built its nest in a small watering can I have sitting outdoors on a baker’s rack next to my kitchen window.

I think it was a little sparrow. Several times a day, I would see her bringing bits of food to her babies, and on one occasion when all was quiet, I could even hear her chicks peeping.

One afternoon, when mama bird was heading for her little one’s home, she was not happy with my outdoor presence. She began flying around chirping loudly. Obviously, she wanted me off the patio.

So, I obliged.

But when it happened again, I told her she was just going to have to figure out how to share the space.

In our busy and sometimes hectic lives, it is nice to have a place of solace, a place where you can watch and listen to nature.

For me, my patio has provided this comfort, but there have been other places here in Vicksburg that have also been a place of peace, like the waterfront down by the Levee Street floodgates.

There is something soothing about hearing the water as it laps against the bank of the river.

Then, there is the Louisiana Circle off Washington Street.

Like the little sparrow, one can get a bird’s eye view of the barges gliding down the river. And it’s something about their slow motion that can have a relaxing effect when life is moving so fast.

I have also driven down to where the new River Front Park is set to go in.

The view of the Mississippi River at Oak and Lee streets is one of awe. When I see its breadth, I know without a doubt there is something mightier that will heal my mortal worries.

Whether it’s rivers, mountain tops, oceans or even a backyard patio, nature has a way of bringing serenity.

Now that I think about it, maybe it was a good thing I didn’t follow through with my vow.