B.C. man inspired by abundance of pink petals blowing in the wind

Adam Sawatsky invites CTV Morning Live into a pink-petal pursuit with a passionate photographer!

VICTORIA – In the middle of the street, Wayne Oliver is waiting for the wind.

“You have to be quick,” Wayne laughs while holding up his phone to try shoot some video. “I mostly miss.”

Although it’s hard to miss that this road is blanketed with blossoms, and the sidewalks are populated with petals, Wayne is anticipating more action.

“When these blossoms come out, it’s almost like a cue for a big wind to come up,” Wayne smiles. “And blown them all over the place and have fun with them.”

While he appreciates seeing so much pink every spring, this is the first time Wayne’s trying to capture the petals being playful on video.

“Remembering where the record button is on your camera, that’s the biggest challenge,” Wayne laughs. “By the time you get all ready — whoops! It’s all gone.”

But rather than be worried, Wayne is waiting in wonder.

“Everyone experiences stress,” Wayne says. “How we deal with it is an art.”

And after experiencing more than his fair share of stress, Wayne is learning to practise that art daily.

“This is part of how I do it,” Wayne gestures to the pink petals enveloping the area. “Opening your eyes and being present.”

In the present there is no past to regret, no future to fret, and in this particular present, pink possibilities are percolating.

“Here we are,” Wayne smiles and the wind starts blowing. “A little gust.”

A little gust that encourages a couple petals to play, before Wayne captures the wind blowing bigger — enticing petals to leap from the trees and join their friends in transforming the street into a stage for dancing with wild abandon.

“It brings out an element of play,” Wayne smiles while successfully filming the movement with his phone. “That’s truly the thing, just play.”

After the flowers frolic, the branches seem to clap their leaves in applause, while the sun beams with appreciation, and Wayne feels grateful he took the time to capture it all.

“You look at the news and you see this and that and while all that is going on in the world, I keep having fun with the petals,” Wayne smiles. “That sounds simple, but it brings peace.”

And you find your day has blossomed into something more magical that you would have imagined.