The Back of My Hand

The other day in Reno with family, I was asked to drive us from point A to point B.  I took a route that my passengers didn't think was correct.  In defending my choice of route, I said, "I know this town like the back of my hand."  I did get us to the requested destination, but I suddenly realized the back of my hand was not a very good measure.  In fact, I knew I was not that familiar with the back of my hand and probably knew the streets of Reno better.  I've never had a compelling reason to study the back of my hand. 
Now the two birch leaves pictured above are another story.  Early one morning as I was leaving the house, I was startled by the beauty of the heavily frosted leaves on the front lawn.  Then I noticed these two and pondered why on one leaf the frost was concentrated on the veins while on the other the frost accumulated between the veins.  I stared at these two leaves for quite a while, in fact longer than I ever stared at the back of my hand.  So, the next time you let slip "I know this _______ like the back of my hand, realize that you might not know it all that well!  Do I recommend getting to know your hand better?  No.  But I highly recommend spending more time looking closely at nature's details.