The power of the picture

"Between Dallas and Austin, "  the title, is all I know about this photograph.  It is in the public domain.  It looks as if it were taken sometime in the 1930s.  The rest of what we can know of it must be supplied by one's imagination, or lots of difficult research.  So let's imagine.

Dad is the photographer on this trip, proud of all his girls.  Mom and the kids pose easily for this shot - on the way to or from.  They are neat and tidy folks of modest means, but we do not know just how modest.  Somehow, I do not think this is all they own.  I sense this is an early version of an RV.

What do you think?


Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Having a handy husband

When the fence fell down, my very talented husband was able to fix it with what he called "stand-offs." He set another post near the failed one, hooked them together and encased the two in new palings. It works like a charm and adds interest to the walk leading to our postage-stamp back yard.

It is handy to have a "handy" husband. Recently we collaborated. He, the worker-bee and I, the designer, decorated the stand-offs with antique iron barrel rings flanking each post. They were re-purposed after our half-whiskey barrels (for "annual color" posies) fell apart.

This is how we do things after fifty-plus years of marriage. He's always been handy and I have always had a flair for decorating with re-purposed items.

Today he is breaking out, however. He's going to Walmart to buy the bed linen set on sale for a ridiculously low price. We just had a class on choosing colors and style to match the master bedroom's existing theme. He's so excited to have been promoted from "handy" to decorator.

He will do just fine. It is never too late to move up in the world.
He survived my joining the women's movement in the 60s and 70s. And we are both surviving retirement together.
Y'all have a good day, too.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

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Mount Rushmore - I did not know you well.

I never got to see Mount Rushmore. But I know I would have loved it. In place of a visit, today I'll do a little post.

According to Wikipedia:

Mount Rushmore National Memorial, near Keystone, South Dakota, is a monumental granite sculpture by Gutzon Borglum (1867–1941), located within the United States Presidential Memorial that represents the first 150 years of the history of the United States of America with 60-foot (18 m) sculptures of the heads of former United States presidents (left to right): George Washington (1732–1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919), and Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865).^[1] The entire memorial covers 1,278.45 acres (5.17 km²)^[2] and is 5,725 feet (1,745 m) above sea level.^[3] It is managed by the National Park Service, a bureau of the United States Department of the Interior. The memorial attracts approximately two million people annually.^[4]

Leadership is not always recognized during the person's lifetime. The leaders depicted at Mount Rushmore achieved their popularity only after the lessons of history were learned and their achievements came into more realistic perspective.

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Capture of the Landscape, a reprise

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(Date of the original post - 8/6/06)

Capture of the Landscape

A landscape stays still so that the artist can capture it.

A drawing reduces the landscape to its simplest fit.

Photographers are not forced to catch human motion.

Painters capture multiple dimensions - landscape and emotion.

Sculptors carve out the ups and downs of valleys, hills and fiords.

Writers describe landscapes with evocative mental image words.

Memory plays tricks with capturing images of landscapes.

Childhood places may be distorted as clarity escapes.

The brain locates its storage for memory of place,

Separate from where we go for memory of face.

But we remember the most beautiful places we have ever seen,

Truly as gorgeous vistas with a look that is peaceful and serene.

Tags: art poetry landscape memory

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Landscapes I love, a reprise

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(Original date of this post - 3/10/06)

The Landscape Upon Which I Play

How blessed I am to have seen some of the earth's most beautiful places.

• The Tetons in Wyoming-Majestic mountains rising out of a rather flat grassy landscape. Newer than most ranges, they are the climbers' goal.
  
• The Grand Canyon in Arizona-Awesome chasm, myriad colors, almost unbelievable before your eyes. Carved by the Rio Grande way below.
  
• Northern California's seacoast-The blue Pacific plays against the rocky cliffs. Painters try to capture it. But you must see it to believe it.
  
• New England in the fall-Leaf colors so bright they make your eyes smile. Celebrate the end of the growing season with rustling sounds.
  
• Cozumel in Mexico-Ancient ones built a holy place by the quiet Caribbean. Stone upon stone, with paths worn down by peasant feet.
  
• The Capitol in Washington D.C.-Honor to our founders. Center for governance. Familiar architecture forms the People's Place to Meet.

Travel tourists Placeblog

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Mountain majesty, a reprise

(Original date of this post - 12/24/05)

There are major sensual advantages to growing up near mountains. Your eyes always have a beautiful horizon upon which to rest themselves. Chinook winds, rolling down from the mountains, can bring unexpected thaws of snow.

People, heated by too much summer, can go to the mountains for a cool evening and a warm fire. Tall pines make music as breezes pass through thick branches. The smell of pines remains imprinted years after the experience, only to be recalled by a beach side Christmas tree.

A mountain picnic on a checkered cloth never again will taste quite the same. Mountain thunderstorms boom with a grandeur unmatched on flatter terrain. Granite boulders feel cool to the touch on a summer day, because they spent the night in at cooler altitude. These memories stored by my senses are very precious to me.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: landscape mountains memoir

Dry Country - a reprise

The original date of this post was 1/25/06.

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

Living With Drought

Skin cracks. Soil cracks. Dry maize crackles in the hot breeze. City folks and country folks alike talk about the weather. People watch the heavens or TV weather and opine about the future. We remember how much behind we are in the average amount of rainfall.

City folks wonder about water rationing, water rates and what to do about the yard. Country folks wonder about the livestock, the loans and the crops. Leaders wonder about available water resources because they can do nothing to make the rains come.

When rain comes folks stand outside and look towards the sky. We wonder how long the storm will last and when another will come. We remark about how good the air smells, and how the plants drink in the dropletts. Amounts need to be reported, dogs need umbrella service, kids need to play in the mud, cars need antilock brakes, and schedules need to be changed.

In the meantime we wait and look up.

Tags: drought weather rainfall

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Song of the Windmill, a reprise

Myth is the public dream, and dream is the private myth. - Joseph Campbell

(The date of the original post was 3/14/06)

Photo:souldestine-at-cox.net

Cool, water. Cool, clear water. Water. .

remember the song sung by "The Sons of the Pioneers" so long ago.

Not a cowboy poet, I, but one who loves them. I write the

Song of the Windmill.

Sing the song of the windmill's whirring in the breeze.

Listen to the cattle stirring as they chew and graze

on thin grass blades. The herd's not long for this place,

Cause the drought is driving ranchers to leave at a pace

that surprises everyone. The empty tank is commonplace.

"Maybe next year," the neighbors tell each other to save face.

AeroMotor is the name up there. There are other makers too.

A good windmill will outlast a house, barn, and an old buckaroo.

The bad years go by. Then the good years bring in a new crew to

Try again. More cows graze now as the pasture green and new

Makes rich milk, and grows fat calves who rest in the lean-to.

"Next year," the neighbors tell each other, "the drought is through."

Copyright by Carol Gee, March 14, 2006

Tags: ranching poetry rainfall

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Announcing the reprise series --

I often write about the state where I was born and raised, or about memories of my childhood, or associated subjects.

For the next few days I will be reposting pieces from the past as a "reprise" series. I have labeled them my "classics."

I hope you enjoy them all.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Visual musings: a fresh start

One of the categories into which I sort the Making Good Mondays posts is called Visual Musings. Only 7 posts made it there in 2009. I have gotten away from that format, and my creative writing has suffered as a result. Today's post is an experiment in going back to my old format:

1. Pick a picture to which you have an emotional connection or reaction
2. Figure out what that is about in your mind.
3. Write down those thoughts, either directly or obliquely as a post.
4. Edit the post so that head and heart match, making authenticity your goal.

For today my visual musing is about this image:

Point Lobos, south of San Francisco, California.
I started as a landlubber, born and raised on the sagebrush western prairies, with mountains at my horizon. The water-ific abundance of the Pacific ocean could not be more different than scarce-water Wyoming. However, some things are the same.
The blue Pacific mimics the brilliant blue of Wyoming skies. Also there are mountains at the horizon in this image. The rocky coast is very akin to the Rocky Mountains, my original horizon markers.
It is also about the rocks. I grew up with a rocky outcrop not far from our place in the country. Though we had to watch out for rattle snakes, many of my fondest memories are about going to play "at the rocks." They represented a castle, a fortress, a house, an adventure. And today I take pictures of rocks, collect rocks - both tumbled and rough, and decorate my landscape with rocks. Here is a 2007 picture taken in Wyoming. It is called "Granite Fragments."

It is a picture that gathered several comments when I posted it on Red Gage. In fact shared photographs play a big part in the fun of social networking on the Internet. I have collections on Flikr, FaceBook, Picassa and several slide shows on most of my web pages.
Keeping these sites maintained takes a bit of work, but the results are worth the effort. It is a great way to share photos with the public and with friends and family. . .
. . . and to go back and enjoy them yourself.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites. See "Behind the Links." for further info.
Technorati tags: internet images creativity

An homage to the dirt men --

People who move dirt for us are to be thanked for making the path before us smoother and more direct. We take their work for granted as we speed along superhighways or turn into our own driveways. We forget how much we depend on their work to make our lives easier and better.

The two dirt men in my life are my brother and my youngest son. My brother builds roads and my son finishes building lots. My brother works in the country and my son works in the city. They both played in the dirt as boys, building roads or mountains or forts. Now they can run all the machines in the yard.

From both come invaluable contributions to the greater good. They are careful and exacting workers, who move and smooth the earth so we can build something or go somewhere. Both are hard workers, finishing their deadlined projects in overtime or on the weekends. They rise early and stay late if necessary.

Dirt men face danger at times. They drive their big growling machines close to the edge. They dodge traffic, they avoid buried cables, and they tolerate irritated foremen or demanding inspectors. Their work on heavy equipment puts bones and joints and lungs at risk. One has good health insurance and the other has none.

My dirtmen are trustworthy. They can be left alone to do the job without supervision. After years and years of experience, however, neither wants to be a supervisor or foreman. "Been there; done that. No thanks." But each will give instructions, if asked or if necessary.

My dirtmen are self sufficient. Each knows how to cook and do laundry and repair their own vehicles. And my dirtmen are generous and thoughtful, often giving the best gifts under the Christmas tree.

Our families are lucky to have them in our lives. Today I honor them both. Thanks for everything.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: essays heavy equipment construction family

What's in a face?

You cannot tell me that animals don't smile. Who could argue with my take on this frog? He looks fat and happy, probably filled with errant flies.

Or maybe he (or she, who knows) is a distant cousin of my friend Kermit, The Frog, who is another one who smiles a lot.













Our dog, Scooter smiles, often. We know she smiles because we understand her context. She smiles:

• When company comes to our house -- She stands at the door and waits for her "friends," our kids and grandkids come for a visit.


• If it is play time after supper -- She brings one of us a ball, smiles and drops it for our throw/her catch.


• When she is able to engage us in one of her regular "jobs" -- Helping with coffee duty first thing in the morning is one. Another duty is to lead one of us to the other if we're separated in different parts of the house. Both are accompanied by barking notifications.
  

And, if this is not a smile, I do now know anything about critters. This great photo came in one of those wonderful forwarded e-mails from friends, that we all get. And like all such, forwards, the origin is lost in the sands of time.

Now, you smile, you're on candid camera.

Have a great day!

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Imagery - Old - Continued

Image via Wikipedia

Many people are fascinated with history, including pre-history. Making Good Mondays is often about imagery. This post combines the two ideas. It is a continuation of an earlier one here at Making Good Mondays: "The First Photograph." I was inspired by an e-mail from my blog friend "Spadoman," who read the post about the first camera. Spadoman blogs at Round Circle. I commend his piece, "The Real Reason for the Crow Creek Ride," as background reading and to get acquainted with his very fine writing and good soul. Here are portions of his e-mails:

1) The first e-mail, with Spadoman's thoughts and ideas related to my (old photograph) post:

These drawings and pictures on cave walls and rocks are fascinating. I first saw them here in Minnesota. Up in the Boundary Waters Canoe area, a wilderness area that borders Canada, there are places where the drawings can be seen. It takes a lot of work to see them as you pretty much have to canoe to where they are and there are no short cuts. It is a day or two journey to get there from any embarkation point. There is also a place where painting are found on rocks that are not verticle, but rather horizontal on the flat in a place called Jeffers, MN. The Jeffers Petroglyphs: http://www.jefferspetroglyphs.com/

Last year at this time, I spent a week or so with the Havasupai people whose reservation is at the bottom of Grand Canyon. One man I met from down there took me on a ride down a road that runs from the main highway, old route 66, to the Colorado River. It is on reservation land. Along this road, he stopped here and there to show me some things. One of the places was a petroglyph site, undiscovered by tourists, hidden from view on a desolate semi-private road. Pristine viewing of an ancient artform.

Then again, rocks that are defaced by graffiti and initials of those in love, (JS loves BM), or gang signs painted on many types of surfaces might be the petroglyphs of the future. I wonder about this and how these types of things will be depicted by future anthropologists long after we're scattered to dust. The findings of us in the distant future is also a fascinating subject.

Man did leave marks all over. The voyageurs made gashes high up in the pine trees to be seen by navigators on the lake and portage system. The Nez Perce piled rocks along trails to tell the comings and goings of people and which direction they were traveling, these are still found along the Lolo trail from long before Lewis and Clark in Eastern Idaho's Bitterroot mountains. And of course, the trash this string of generations is leaving buried in the ground in landfills and generally just scattered on the sacred earth mother.

2) February 22, 2009. Subject: Petroglyphs. Spadoman added:

Feel free to use anything I sent you. Those canyon wall pictures at the Grand Canyon were magnificent. I was right up close to them. I didn't touch them. There are also some more modern ones at a place in South Dakota called the Horse sanctuary near Hot Springs, SD. http://www.gwtc.net/~iram/

The site doesn't talk about them, but a long time ago, people used the area down by the Cheyenne River for ceremony, (Sweat Lodge, Sundance) and left marks, circles, on the banks of the river and the sandy area along the river bottoms. On some cliffs, they did some carvings into the sandstone. You can see them if you take the tour at the sanctuary. Many amazing places on this Earth Mother.

References regarding petroglyphs - these famous ones were found in caves in France:

1. The Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc.
2. The Cave of Lascaux.
   

As human beings we seem to carry a psychological affinity to old images. Jung described it as the "collective unconscious." I am not sure whether it is also somehow connected to what we might call DNA memory. In any event we are connected to our forebearers from all over the world. We all descend from our common ancestors in Africa, whose traces are lost to history except in fossils. I would love to get a sense of what they did with their earliest impulses towards imagery.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

My new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Technorati tags: imagery history blogosphere

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• The Journals of Lewis & Clark Online (janawillworkforbooks.blogspot.com)

Mood imagery

FreeImages.co.uk deserves the credit for all these interesting pictures. These mood images are to be found free at the link above.

These images all have a certain "vantage point:" It depends on where you are, as to how you look at things.

You might be feeling "on top of the world, have an "overview," or have to "step down" from a lofty position. Up appears to be the desired location.

Or you might feel " blocked," "down in the dumps," or "trapped." Down is not the way most of us want to feel.

Most of us just wish for "a level playing field."

Have a great week!

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: images moods figures of speech emotion

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• Tuning Up Your Blog (everything.typepad.com)

The First Photograph

The First Photograph

"View From the Window At Le Gras," is the first ever true photograph made by exposing a chemical coated pewter plate in France in 1826. The first photo was taken by:

Joseph Nicéphore Niépce,

who was born in 1765 and died in 1833 at the age of 68, without being credited for being the world's first successful photographer. Though he formed a partnership with Daguerre, the invention of the daguerreotype, eclipsed what Niepce had called his heliograph.

It is on display in the permanent collection at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas.

I have had the privilege of seeing this priceless treasure, myself, some years ago in Austin. It took my breath away because I am an amateur photographer myself, and understand the significance of such a rarity.

We almost did not get to see this gem because it was actually lost during the period of 1898 to 1952. After a long search, it was found and authenticated by Helmut Gernsheim, who eventually donated it in 1963, along with his entire collection, to the University in Austin.

Visit the website linked above. It has a wealth of fascinating information about Niepce, pictures of he and Gernsheim, the original photograph in its original gold frame, and the original provenience that goes with it. Entire pages tell about the hunt for the lost work, and about the amazing generosity that enabled UT to own the treasure. The last heir who owned the work donated it to Gernsheim, who in turn donated it to the Austin-based University's vast photography collection.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

My new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Technorati tags: photography antiques

Cruisin'

In these perilous economic times, not as many people can just pick up and go on a cruise. So how about going on a fantasy cruise, a pretend trip, an imaginary sail?

Let's go together. I'll show you the way. I'll be your guide. It will be fun, I guarantee you. And it will be free for the taking.

Taking a cruise takes a little work beforehand. You have to decide what to wear, which means you have to study the cruise line documents for suggested dress, and for the cruise's itinerary. Packing carefully is a good way to get off on the right foot for fun. You have to arrange for someone to water your plants and for the care of your dog, and for a ride to the airport.

It usually takes a plane ride to take a cruise, unless you live near a port. Then it takes a bus or cab ride to the dock where the ship is preparing for its next trip. Those who do not arrive on time miss the boat. . . and all the fun.

Everyone boards the ship after almost all the supplies have been loaded. The cruise ship sails. You follow the signs to your cabin, only to hear that you will have to participate in the lifeboat drill the very first thing. Taking your own life vest from the cabin, you make your way to an assigned station and learn how to save your own life in case of bad, bad, trouble. But take heart. And take note. You only have to do it once during the whole trip.

Now everyone is anxious to get unpacked and to find their way around the ship. Often, by the time you are through with life boat drills, your bags have arrived at your cabin. Your cabin has a closet and plenty of drawers and space for all your things. That is the beauty of cruising -- no packing and unpacking as you travel from place to place. You will be hungry and wondering what's for supper by now, and whether to change for dinner in the dining room. Or you might decide to eat at one of the more casual places that abound on board.

If you eat in the dining room, traditionally, you will probably be seated at the same table with the same people throughout the cruise, except at lunch, which is normally open seating. And you will get to know each other fairly well, often exchanging Christmas cards with them for a year or two. You will order from a menu and it will be some of the finest food ever, for "free."

Meals are included in the price of the cruise. You will need to take money for liquor, tips, on shore excursions, gambling and whatever you purchase from the ship's shops or on shore. Tips are given to the room steward, the bartender, your waiter, the wine steward, and the Maitre'd. All the live entertainment is free, as are the midnight buffets. So cruises offer almost the very best value for your travel dollar.

Entertainment on board varies widely. The lounges sometimes have a small group of musicians. There will always be some kind of stage shows or productions, two a night. Daytime entertainment might include a tour of the ship's bridge, the kitchen, a chef's demo, silly games and dance contests, bridge, a casino and special excursions at almost all ports of call. Solitary activities include a jogging track, swimming pool, a spa, a library, computers, or just sitting on a deck chair watching the waves and the sea birds. Or sleeping, or eating, or eating, or eating. Save your biggest clothes for the end of the trip, as you will gain weight. You cannot help it unless you are anorexic.

And before you know it your three or seven or 14 days are up and you arrive, safe, sound and relaxed at home port. You have tipped generously for absolutely wonderful service. You have your purchases from exotic places, along with instructions on how to pay the duties, if needed. And, hopefully, you have something to wear home, as your packed bags have been picked up the night before.

You will come home with a bit of a suntan, a few extra pounds, lovely memories, new friends, treasures from other countries, and a bit of laundry to do. And your will be thinking of where you want to go on your next cruise. . . very soon. I can almost guarantee it. In fact, now I am in the mood for a trip, myself.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: cruise travel travel cruise lines travelogue

Good to Look At

People -- Family albums are always fun. This one is timely, from Time Magazine: "An Album of Presidents and Their Children#" (1/12/09).

This fascinating tale is full of irony. Snopes.com: "Pink Lady*" (11/6/06). This is the true story of an urban legend, "the infamous Pink Lady, a 60-foot tall drawing of a naked woman which mysteriously appeared overnight on a sheer rock cliff above a tunnel on Malibu Canyon Road. . . in October 1966." It was painted by a woman named Lynne Seemayer, a 31- year-old secretary. Read the rest of the saga, it is just amazing.

Places astronomical --

Sort of like us, astronomy adds another piece to the mystery of, "are we alone? This is from McClatchy: "Evidence found of solar system around nearby star*" (10/27/08) Space - the final frontier. To quote:

For the first time, astronomers think that they've found evidence of an alien solar system around a star close enough to Earth to be visible to the naked eye.
They say that at least one and probably three or more planets are orbiting the star Epsilon Eridani, 10.5 light-years — about 63 trillion miles — from Earth. Only eight stars are closer.

The host star, slightly smaller and cooler than our sun, is in the constellation Eridanus — the name of a mythological river — near Orion in the northern sky.

• Cozy Shack: "There Has To Be An Invisible Sun*" (10/14/08).
• Uncommon Sense: "Enceladus*," One of Saturn's icy moons.
• CNN: "NASA Captures Stunning Pictures of Earth#" (12/28/08)
  

Things --These are very strange critters seen at National Geographic*, " Photos: Alien-like squid seen at deep drilling site." Strangely, this squid has "elbows."

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

Technorati tags: news human interest stories astronomy

Life goes on.

Life Goes On

Life goes on because hearts still beat
And forces beyond ken are incomplete.
Life goes on when another's life ends.
We can't stop forces we don't comprehend.

We say, "life goes on," and leave unsaid,
"How? I don't know how. It hurts my head."
We know life goes on because we live.
The one who left we must somehow forgive.

Life goes on but never forever.
The truth existential - we're not clever
Enough to avoid the abyss owned by all.
We discover "Life's Meaning" for the shortfall.

We lose ones we love if we live long enough.
We miss them. Finding good days is so tough.
Life goes on however, because that is The Plan.
Moving on is hard, but we all have a Wing Man.


Copyright by Carol Gee
January 12, 2009


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.
Technorati tags: poetry loss writing existential

What could be good about this Monday?

In difficult times it sometimes helps to think with another part of your brain. While the words get stuck or have become garbled or scattered, imagery is clear and unambiguous.

But the image is not mystery free. Is this creature part of a family? Or just resting near rocks? And what lies over the brow of the hill?

This is a Nebraska bison, resting on the prairie surrounded by wildflowers. Well-fed, at peace, in the land of plenty, the buffalo belongs.

On this Monday, it is good to contemplate this flower-surrounded beast at rest. Powerful but peaceful.

I know the image maker was also such a creature. But he is gone. And so is the other one from Nebraska. Celebrated with yellow flowers, both now at rest -- at peace.

So I must be also. Because I've had the gift another Good Monday, not to be squandered, but treasured.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.
Technorati tags: [tagname]

Accepting the Winters of our lives:

From here in the Spring we saw the horizon but not what was behind it, lost in the mists and clouds of the unknown. We could not have foretold what this winter would bring.

It is hard to visualize Spring in the middle of a cold Winter. It is hard to to understand that the turn of seasons is part of the larger plan. It is hard to accept that Winter means the loss of life for some of God's creations. It is hard to know how to get to acceptance of events beyond our control.

The reality of Winter often means struggle. We struggle against the cold winds. We slog through deep drifts of cold or blowing snow. Our eyes sting with tears. Our ears stay tuned to the crunching footsteps ahead and behind us on the path upon which all of us are headed.

We tread carefully upon the icy paths of change, attempting to get to the firmer ground of what is true and truly known. We wrap ourselves in the warmth of family and friends and familiar rituals.

This will be a Winter of loss and of celebration, of being alone and being together, of caring and being cared for, of letting go and moving on. And finally, this will be the season of eventually getting into acceptance. We will accept that life is made of spring and summer, fall and winter. And that it is good.

Update: My niece wrote a lovely tribute to her late beloved Grandma, at Paws Fur a Moment.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.
Technorati tags: prose seasons change family loss