Snow Sun and Pine

This being the first time I've spent the fourth season, winter, in a place that actually experiences such a season. Snow is unfamiliar to me and I've been excited about being in it the past couple of months. Of course it's snowed only twice, this morning I woke to the third while last winter was nearly all white all the time. So when it snowed in the night with morning breaking open golden orange sun on the horizon, glistening reflections everywhere, I jumped outside with the iPhone camera and took it in.

An image from that morning caught Kimberlee's eye when I posted it on Facebook and she told me she had to have it. Great reason to create a long long overdue blogpost.

Snow Sun and Pine

The snow that morning was light and dry, I licked tongue fulls off different surfaces, it felt like cold wet air. This mornings snow is wet with freezing temps approaching. All this is new to me and very exciting. Feel like a kid. Had the thought this morning it would be great to get a couple feet of dry snow and make a snowman, another thing I've never done. I'll definitely take a pic if it happens.

Snow Morning Bloom

So many ways to interpret and share experiences and the iPhone with all it's camera and development apps gives my imagination free reign.

Onward!

For my Aunt Lea

This very moment my Aunt Lea

Is walking down the path

Heading towards that next place

Held in the love of those she's touched

The youngest of three sisters and a brother

Lou, Jean and Pam

Lots of family, many gathered around now

Others on the way

I'm here, across the country

Yet all I need do is remember her

Feel her in my heart 

And I'm right beside her

Our toes on the edge

Wriggling in the sand

Looking in her eyes

With everyone else

A smile and squeeze of the hand

I'll sit between worlds with her

Knowing she's not going far

When she takes that final step over

Good journey Aunt Lea

Good journey

I love you

Your nephew Art

Through, not around

There are those things we go around we're aware of and those we aren't. No right or wrong, too early or too late unless you think it that way.

J.C. and Not Spot

I was heading out for a morning walk and there in Kitty's water bowl were Jiminy and a pal, doing what looked like laps. Thing was they were going nowhere really quickly. Thought for a moment, it's in the act not how much is being accomplished, I watched a little longer. Began to imagine if I made them some little swim fins they could really cover some distance with those big powerful legs. The judgement of the futility got the better of me and I scooped them out. Well Jiminy it turns out was actually kicking just to stay above water, pretty badly shaken, and grabbed hold of my finger with an anti-death grip and wasn't going anywhere except where my dry finger was going so I headed down the road with J. Cricket leading the way on my finger. It's different holding one arm stationary, bent elbowed, out in front of you and swinging the other while walking but I soon got use to it.

The gravel road we were on cuts through a hay field absolutely hopping with his people, he wasn't wanting to play. Anytime I wriggled my finger his little grippers would cinch up, we were going for a walk, me and Jiminy. I sang to him happy little ditties I made up, something about 'everythings perfect and ain't nowhere to be but with your friends', I of course make up he liked it and would have added the instrumental part if not for the threat tumbling off his ride.

About 3/4 miles into our journey Jim began to relax, I continued singing soothing happy tunes. He sat up, looked around and was ready to pull the disembark cord.

I went whistling my way and he his. I did appreciate his willingness to leap, 100 times his body length without even looking.

The story continues for as I'm sure you noticed, "Not Spot" has yet to be been mentioned.

Arriving where I usually turn around, I checked in with my body and heard a rousing chorus of 'onward', so I did. 

Fields were wet with last nights rain. As the sky opened up letting sunlight streak down, mists swirled their way skyward. The poetry of landscape began showing itself now, barns on last legs still sheltering from the storm as they did in their youths.

And then from watery eyes of appreciation to . . . 

laughter, tickled to my souls soles, my very own road, place, um, dirt road!

Continuing on there as an old shack just off the road. Something I've been appreciating out here in the east, the unlocked doors just off the roadway. Could imagine taking refuge, waiting out a heavy cloudburst inside then wandering on my way.

Then I heard something clamoring for my attention, it was my feet letting me know it was time to turn around. 

The funny thing about turning around is, in a way, nothing looks the same. I find things, scenes, new beauty I'd passed without noticing. I imagine them stifling a laugh, taking bets with each other as to which of them wouldn't be noticed, or just getting a kick out of the guy who walks right by without a clue. The great thing about it is seeing a new world on the way back home.

As I approached the 'hop off' point for Jiminy I notice a round dark little something in the road ahead, which seemed to move a bit. Shaking my head I looked again, yes, it moved. AHHHH! WOW!!!! A turtle. 

Now for some this may be a regular occurrence, for this guy it was a first, my first out in the world turtle and just the day after I talked to the earth of caring more deeply for her. This was a gravel roadway she's crossing and maybe she'd make it to the other side without becoming a spot with tread marks, (unlike the infamous chicken). Looking to the direction of travel I'd say she wasn't heading anywhere too exciting, at least as far as the eye could see, and I knew of a place where there would be good food, year round swimming, places to hide, warm sun when needed, in short, turtle heaven. 

She wasn't much more than two and half times bigger than J.C., a very easy traveling companion. She wasn't very happy being carried so I picked up the pace.

We arrived at the pond a few minutes later and after an initial look around and probably saying to herself, "Wow, dig this, my own pond", she headed off on her first explore.

Not once looking back, as it should be, forever being Not Spot, the turtle who made it heaven on earth.

That ends the adventure of Art, Jiminy (J.C.) Cricket, and Not Spot the turtle. 

No animals were harmed during this adventure, only benefitted.

All original images captured with an iPhone 3Gs.

My feet were happy to be back.

They aren't just Things

I was out walking the other day, walking and sweating profusely really. The heat and humidity combination makes it so one could track me by the trail of sweat I was leaving, but I digress. I saw a new field of hay bales, new to me that is, through an open gate. Walking into this place felt different, could have been the number of bales or the old house on the hill, I don't know for sure and yet the place felt very alive. As you could imagine I was quite excited seeing and sensing all these 'Beings'. Each one was different and as I gazed across the field I was seeing more of a herd, a herd that just moved slower than my eye would perceive.

I imagined by sitting and watching long enough they'd get use to me and go back to their business of rolling around, much like the Far Side cartoon with the cows

This cartoon has always gotten a chuckle out of me. Anyway, so I was imagining one of those bales had let the others know I was coming and they all stopped.

Wandering around with a beautiful sky and all these bales had me seeing them differently, not just as things. I began to feel their relationship to the ground under them, to the breezes sliding over and around them.
As I wandered to this one below I thought of the wild stallion watching over his herd as they grazed peacefully knowing they were being cared for.

I was joining in a journey over the mountain with this group, following the trail of those who've already gone. No rush, no hurry just a trek to see what's on the other side.

It's been a couple days and these bale beings came to mind this morning in meditation, beyond the herd playing still. They are alive. They are friends I could sit in the shade of with my back against theirs. One day they'll be little cows or goats or horses just as I will be.

Opening to this way of imagining changes everything in seeing the world for me. The 'sameness' falls away. Relationships develop between myself and them and I see more clearly, more deeply the relationships of everything to everything all around me, including me. When I touch these places the world changes right before my eyes. The life and connection of all wakes up in me again and again. Of course I fall asleep and that just makes waking up the next time all that more exciting.

I'd love to hear what you see or how you see life around you. What wakes you up to the magic of the moment.