Beagle Walking

Our beagle is on a chain in the yard

because we have newly weaned calves.

Calves that are just weaned are very noisy,

but more importantly,

EXTREMELY paranoid, easily scared into a stampede,

by any unfamiliar sight or sound.

We live along a beautiful prairie creek.

HEAVEN for a beagle.

Beagles are hounds born and bred to track and hunt rabbits

with their nose.

If you are not familiar with hounds,

you must know that they make the most

high-pitched, writhing-in-pain, kind of sound

when they are on the trail of something.

This braying sound is why Toby, the beagle,

is chained up when we have weaned calves.

Normally, I walk with the beagle unleashed.

So he is quite untrained . . . a free-range beagle, we'll call him.

However, with the weaned calves I must keep him with me.

White Owl Creek is perhaps the most

explosive in fall color beauty

that I have ever seen.

Usually we have fall frosts and rains and winds that knock down the leaves.

But, despite the drought, 

there is gorgeous-ness.

So I adventure WITH the beagle into the creek.

With his oversensitive hound nose.

It is a miracle that I got ANY clear shots.

The creek is home to

deer,

skunk,

porcupine,

raccoon,

turkey,

and

RABBITS.

It was a battle of wills the entire way.

Me with my camera hunting for light and color and contrast

and

Toby with his nose hunting for all kind of vermin and varmint.

My kids had just gotten on the school bus

when Toby and I left.

And I noticed how one tree

that was vibrant orange

on Monday

was brown and almost bare.

I thought about how little time

I have to get photos of the trees

once the leaves start to turn yellow.

How I had to go with the beagle through the creek,

even though it would have been much

more peaceful to leave him at home,

or tempting to wait until he didn't have to be leashed.

But how I would have missed the moment.

Which turned my mind to my kids on the bus

and how we have moments

that are fleeting

like

fall

leaves.

The years of being home with me all day

are over,

so our evenings, mornings and weekends are

fleeting moments.

To savor and to really listen to them,

to hear what they have to say,

what they are excited about

what they are struggling with

what they are learning.

Every stage of life has its challenges

and every stage of life has its beauty and wonder and newness.

Beagle on a leash = challenge.

Fall leaves = beauty.

Kindergarten = wonder at learning to read.

Fifth grade = excitement about volleyball.

Seventh grade = newness . . . transition.

Challenges for each of my kids.

Challenges for me.

Challenges for my man on the ranch in a drought.

Living it all.  Doing these things together.

Is the beauty of it

all.

Crazy Beautiful

Sometimes

I can't believe

that

simple things

can be so

crazy

beautiful.

I just have to

stop

and

look.

Exceeding

abundance.

*

Linking with these ladies:

2012 copyright Jodene (Jodi) Shaw

Find Beauty In The Mess

Find Beauty in the Mess piece is for sale here:  Jodene Shaw Etsy Store

Life never lets us catch up

does it?

Especially "balancing"

family {wife} [mom] (self)

household {cleaning} [money] (food-cooking-cost-nutruition)

health {weight} [nutrition] (mental)

personal {goals} [business dreams]

spiritual {growth} [quiet time] (worship)

But there is beauty in midst

of it all . . .

It take a conscious effort . . .

. . . does not come natural some --

no,

most

days

But it is there . . .

right there . . .

. . . so close . . .

like butterflies

in the

mud

beauty

just out my door

in the secret beauty of White Owl Creek,

in a mud puddle on my gravel road,

or in my messy kitchen

smiling through maple syrup and crumbs

on a 4 year old face.

*

Sneak Peeker, here's my finished "Open the Door" art work

with the doorknobs that I shared a couple weeks ago:

Open the Door.

Thanks for stopping in & visit these other inspirational

artists, photographers, writers . . .

Thanks Aunt Jean . . .

Spring is over.

Summer's hot breath is upon us.

Visting Aunt Jean brought a vase

As a gift.

Which inspired me

To rescue a few columbine

From my flower bed.

Some yarrow and verbena

added variety.

Bringing in some beauty

On a hot, windy day.

Goodbye June.

Here comes July.

Thanks Aunt Jeanie!

Photos & text copyright 2010.  Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

South Dakota Summer~Savoring Seasons

Savoring the Seasons.

Instead of fighting or dreading or resisting.

It takes a conscience shift in the mind to do it.

This season is haying season.

Fortunately this haying season is green.

Others have been brown.

This year:  plump, lush, green windrows.

Alfalfa blooms.

Grass.

The old cliche ~ "Make hay while the sun shines."

Is in full swing here in Meade County.

An old hay cutter overlooks my favorite hayfield.

To the east of my kitchen.

My kids love to sit in the seat.

And play in the old red tool box.

The kids ride along with their dad.

In today's swather.

It's a season of hope.

Hoping for enough rain.

Enough sun.

Enough dew.

Enough time.

Hope.

For rain at the right time.

For sun at the right time.

For dew at the right time.

For enough time at the right time.

For growing.

For cutting.

For curing.

For raking.

For baling.

For stacking.

Hope for the weavels

And the grasshoppers

To not eat everything before getting to that field...or all of them.

Hope for no breakdowns.

Or few breakdowns in equipment

And in spirit.

Or that the part you need for the breakdown will be in.

Hoping that you can get fixed and back in the field.

In the right time.

Hoping that when your spirit breaks down.

You get back up and out again.

Without too much fallout.

Hope for no hail to wipe out a field or the whole place.

Hoping that a storm won't come up in the night

And blow all of the windrows

So that they they have to be pulled out of the barbed wire fence and raked back up.

Or that they didn't blow away completely.

Hope for no tornadoes.

There is beauty to savor.

Here.

On the South Dakota prairie.

Under the summer sun.

It gets to be a long season.

Long hours.

Little sleep.

Solitude.

Lots of time for thoughts.

Weariness.

Monotony.

Savoring the season is a conscious effort.

A choice.  A focus.

At times it does come effortlessly.

But often it is a method of preserving sanity.

It is haying season.

Photos and text Copyright June 2010 Jodene (Jodi) Shaw.

"...hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance."  Romans 8:24-25 NKJV

{For me, jodi, my camera is the way to savor the season and preserve my sanity.  I have said before that sometimes my best photographs come at the times that my mind is at it's worst.  But picking up the camera and going out to find some beauty, calms my mind and spirit, and brings me back to God and His creation and even moves me to worship Him and hear from Him.  I don't always see and feel day-to-day what my camera shows.  But it is the camera that is my tool that helps me intentionally find something beautiful to enjoy.  To feast my eyes upon.  And that changes my heart and mind and focus.}