Have you ever looked out a window and seen bright daffodils and twittering birds, while someone else has looked upon the same scene and noticed the asphalt road and dead branches? How we view the world can be affected by our mood and what our life is like. If we have a good attitude, we may see the colorful flowers and energetic birds, and ignore the streak of human presence in nature. Conversely, if we are at a down point in our life, we may see that harsh pavement rather than the vibrant life nearby. Sitting at a window on a particularly wet day, I watch streams of rain dribble down the slanted glass. A cool, refreshing breeze wafts in, stirring my hair and giving a break from the oppressive heat indoors. The patter of the shower on the roof and glass sings a soothing lullaby, as I look for the robin who is building a nest in the tree outside my window. Emerald green leaves open to welcome the falling water, trembling beneath their dripping load. Branches sway in the wind beyond the glass. Healthy green grass blades below bend penitent heads to the rain, as the grape leaves not far away part to allow the moisture to reach soft brown soil. The clean scent of rain and rich, loamy fragrance of the small flower garden tingle my nose, tempting me to follow the smells to the soaked earth outside. Small rivers cascade over stones in the narrow channel along the road, and I can almost hear it burbling to the robins and chickadees fluttering about in the trees above. The birds, brown and black with touches of bright red plumage, dance about the treetops like nervous mothers, fussing over newly-built nests and the eggs cradled within. They shake their heads in the shower and ruffle feathers, fluffing up to keep warm, as the cleansing of earth continues. Another time, I sit at the same window and stare out in a dreary day, the grey, cloud-covered sky shrouding the sun in fog and crowning it with a misty halo. Brown earth, blanketed with dead, blackened grass and grey stones, provides a barren landscape to look upon. The chilly wind seeping into my room through cracks in the window frame brings with it the sour, choking stench of yellow fog, and somewhere a septic tank is leaking--I can smell it’s foul odor. Barren branches tap on my windowpane, knocking to be let in out of the early winter cold. Claw-like, they grasp for the birds that streak by, heading south to warmer, friendlier climates. The evergreens, now shades of tan and slate grey, bend and shake in the stiff winds buffeting them, and I can see a small hare trying to take shelter in the small forest of brambles beneath the boughs. Thorny rose stems reach out to grab at streamers of the oily fog, while in the ditch the frozen water is cracked and shattered like so much glass. I heard it popping earlier as someone walked on it. The pieces of splintery firewood strewn about beneath the pines form some ancient tree’s skeleton, waiting to be burned so it can join the other charred ashes in the slime-filled firepit. Stray pieces of paper and plastic, tossed to the side of the road from passing cars, now traverse the dead lawn like ghosts of civilization. Burdock tumbles about the yard, picking up stray twigs and more of its round fellows as the wind whips it about. A cat streaks by, seeking warmth and safety away from the icy gusts outside, and I am grateful for the heat indoors. In both paragraphs, a different state of mind is conveyed through what I see outside, described in detail. A reader would be able to see how I was thinking while looking out the window both times, just by how I describe the outside world and what I notice about it. A depressing attitude would point out negative aspects of the scenery, while a cheerful one would see the positive. Thus, perceptions are influenced by emotions.