Why have I not posted the first thing on my blog this year.....

 

Well its been a fucked up year and I try to be positive...... not an easy thing to be in a time like this....

 

I thought about writing a little of it down But I cant.....

 

Someday I will because history is going to get it wrong. 

Two horrible things that happened are Trump was "president" and my beautiful dog Bear died.  There is no justice in the world.

Well I think fall is finally here, up until about 10 days ago the temps were in the 60's to 80's and as dry as toast.  Luckily the end of October brought rain and lower temp's so there was some color in the leaves.  Unfortunately the winds came and those red, orange and  bright yellow leaves were blown from the trees.  The fall colors were there and I did enjoy them but they did not last long.

Of course October brought many activities and fund raisers in Floyd county.  I spent just about every weekend volunteering or attending them with a quick trip to Raleigh thrown in just for fun. I recently transferred to a different department at work, one that gives me every weekend off,  Well kinda off, now that I am off weekends I am more available for volunteering.  While I feel it is important to contribute to the community I also like my down time.  I have decided to make my early New Years resolution and that is going to volunteer less (-;  wink

 The big boy in the morning sun

 The little guy with his stick 

the river at Foster Falls VA

Me and the girls

OMG summer is almost over and I say almost because even though the official first day of fall is still 3 weeks away (Monday Sep 23, 2019) today is labor day and that means the end of summer.

I has been a fast busy summer.  We went from cool and wet to hot and dry. Oh my.  The summer started with 2 of my boys graduating college (thank the gods) Progressed to a normal summer of gardening, hanging with friends and working.  Things ended with a new job and the end of summer camping trip.  Very little has been different in my personal life.

But there is a lot of angst in the world "out there".  We have trouble in Hong Kong, trade wars, liars in high office, climate change, gun violence: there is a song about that:

We didn't start the fire
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
We didn't start the fire
But when we are gone
Will it still burn on, and on, and on, and on.

Billy Joel

It is important to be informed but for me there is no sense in dwelling on things I cant control.  I will cut my consumption of the things that are harmful to the world.  I will conserve what I can and I will live my life with as positive an out look as I can.  And I will vote and support those that respect others and share my view that people are basically good and we need to help those that need help. Period!

Fall is coming, one of my favorite seasons.  Because there has been little rain I do not anticipate wonderful fall colors but fall brings cool clear nights just right for looking at the stars and cool pleasant days just right for taking walks.  Life is good.

Well darn its been a long time,  keep saying I have to get back to this but just too busy right now but "soon".  I will post this little painting I did as a hope for an early spring and the planting season to come.

I'm still here just not into writing at this time......

I had not realized how long it has been since I posted.  In all honesty 2017 was not the best year for me mentally.  I don't  mean mentally in a medical way, I have just not been in a "good mood" for the past year.  I can feel the, for lack of a better word, anger starting to dissipate a little.  History is cyclic, humans tend to repeat the errors of the past but slowly but surely we do advance.  Hopefully we will advance on the path to Shangri-la and not the dystopian path that is depicted in so many modern novels.

I had a dog named Zeke and he would sit on the edge of the yard and look down on the field below.  My friend, Farmer Tim, keeps cattle down there and Zeke would just watch them from up high.  You could see him scouring the horizon just looking.  He seemed so at peace when he sat there. About 3 years ago Zeke passed away, he was twelve, and he is sorely missed.  I have a new boy, Sarto, and I often find him sitting there, looking down on the cows, scouring the horizon and seeming at peace. Zeke died long before Sarto was born so these action are all his own, not learned behavior.  Sarto doesn't remind me much of Zeke, Zeke was a very laid back dog and Sarto is not but every once and awhile he does something that is just uncanny Zeke.  Like sitting on the edge of the yard looking down on the cattle.

Just one thing, Sarto can come in and out as he pleases. These photos were taken out of a window so as not to disturb him. It is cold and dreary out this AM and he is now curled up on the couch. Warm and dry

Simple

When I woke up this morning I could tell that it would be another cloudy and most likely rainy day.  You get so you can feel it in your bones.  I must say I am tired of the damp.  Of course this time of year if it is not wet then it is hot and dry.  I hate to wish my life away but I am looking forward to mid August, that is when the temperatures start to mellow and I can once again comfortably work outside and as always I have a lot to do...

This morning I did catch a little glimpse of sunshine,  that one little red orb waiting for me to come and get it.  I will wait a little while and hope that a little sun touches it.  One of the most simple of pleasures is popping a warm fresh off the vine cherry tomato in the mouth.  Sun or no that tomato will not be there tomorrow....

Trip is starting to really show her age, she is having some trouble walking but heck she will be 15 in September, she is an old lady, her time left on this earth is measured in weeks or months not years.  She is still alert, her bark still set's the other dogs off.  She still seems to like to lie down by my chair while I drink my coffee and tool the net.  And while her eyes are not as bright as they once were she seems to still "be there".  Its hard to tell with a dog but she seems to still understand what I want her to do.  She is a good dog and I very much enjoy her presents.

The world today is a troublesome one.  It seems like political discourse is every where and if you listen to the media Armageddon is around the corner.  It is hard to find simple right now, simple pleasure, simple conversation, simple life.  But if you look hard enough you will find little glimpses of it.  That cherry tomato, the rain, that loved dog. Simple.  One does not have to stick their head in the sand for simple,  one can be aware of the world around them and know what is happening.  One can actively live in the world and do what they can to change it and still not be consumed by the troubles of the world.  Find that little simple every day, be truly happy for just a few minutes every day.  Your life will be better and the lives around you will be better.