It’s Not the End

I’ve noticed that everybody uses Labor Day as some sort of line of delineation. With the beginning of a new school year coinciding with the theoretical end of summer everybody has to lament and ponder about another season passing and what it means.

I really haven’t written anything all summer….in fact my last blog post was ironically back in June when I waxed poetically about long summer days and the possibilities that meant. I even looked into the future knowing that at then end of summer I would look back and wonder where the time went. But as I look out across the yard I see the field of corn still needing to be harvested. It’s not sweet corn to be eaten but field corn to be used as feed for cattle so I know the farmer down the road will harvest it in the next month or so.

I see the hummingbirds hovering around the feeder I have out front. The feeder was a gift from a friend. We were sitting on her porch on a lazy summer evening eating pizza and drinking cold beer. We used to work together so we do this a couple of times a summer to keep in touch and reminisce about the misery and joy of our work days. We talk about other co-workers we’ve seen or never see anymore. We laugh about the stressful days we experienced and the requests from management that seem so silly now that we’ve retired. As we ate pizza I noticed the hummingbird feeder in her yard and the birds hovering and flitting around it. I may have casually mentioned the wonder of the hummingbird probably to keep the conversation going and to avoid a lull that might lead to an early end of the evening. My friend being the generous and kind soul she is showed up at my door a few days later with a hummingbird feeder and now I watch these wondrous small birds hover around my feeder. I especially notice them in the morning or just at dusk the sound of their wings thumping and catching my attention before I even see them.

A slight fog hovered over the ground this morning, the nights have become quite cool and the mornings now require a light jacket. The fog disappears quickly as the sun rises but it’s a reminder of cooler weather to come. The deer have noticed the apple and pear trees are full of fruit. A small fawn still spotted has been wandering around the yard frequently during the day alternating between the fruit trees out front and the corn field in back. Although I haven’t seen his mother I like to think she’s nearby keeping an eye on her young hungry prodigy.

My bike hangs in the garage. I keep thinking I need to clean it after the miles ridden this summer. Living on a dirt road leads to a layer of dirt covering all of it, but instead of cleaning it I’d rather ride it and clean it another day. I wonder if the very act of cleaning it symbolizes an end to my summer rides and that may be the most powerful signal of the end of something.

It’s not a calendar that declares an end but the act of doing or not doing an activity, so no summer is not over, there’s still so much to do and enjoy. Although the mornings are cool and the fruit trees are drooping with fruit and the corn needs to be harvested and yes kids are back to school, it’s the small gentle hummingbird flitting about that remind me to get out and take advantage of these precious days and perhaps it’s time I call my friend and eat pizza on her porch again.

Peace and Love,

John

A New Favorite

I was out on my morning walk today and I glanced at the sky. Usually when I’m on my morning walk I see the sun rise if it’s not obscured by the gloom of a mid-west day or the haze of smoke….I’m looking at you Canada. I often catch the sun just peeking over the horizon and many times I stop and take a picture. It’s interesting to see the different sunrises throughout the year. I’ll look back on the pictures and notice that sometimes it rises over the road but a month later it’s in the field across the way and next month perhaps it’s over by the neighbors barn. What struck me today was that I totally missed sunrise, in fact I’ve missed it for the past couple of weeks.

Now before you accuse me of sleeping in and enjoying extra time under the covers, let me assure you that I’m up at literally the same time every day. A son that’s out the door before 6 and a wife getting ready for work doesn’t exactly create a environment conducive for sleeping in. Add in the fact that as the weather has gotten nicer and the windows are open and I can hear traffic on our road and let’s just say that I’m up before the sun.

But as I noticed the sun this morning, I realized I probably haven’t been up before the sun lately. The sun was already high in the sky, really high and it struck me that June just might be my new favorite month.

Ah June, you temptress, you beguile us with your long days, pleasant weather and mild humidity. The promise of summer stretches before us with endless possibilities. Picnics, days at the beach, romping barefoot thru the grass, cool drinks with ice melting and clinking to the bottom of the glass, bike rides and hikes in tree covered woods….these all seem possible in June with a endless summer before us. July and August quickly become oppressive with your heat and humidity, we close windows and click on air conditioners hiding in the cool comfort of a modern climate controlled environment.

But it is June that the longest days are to be enjoyed, the bugs haven’t yet figured out I’m a walking blood bank to be swarmed at first sight or smell. Yes I know, I’ll probably write a blog post at the end of summer lamenting that I didn’t do nearly all the activities that I planned for the summer and I’ll ponder where the time escaped to, but for now I’ll be up early, maybe not to see the sunrise, but still early and I’ll enjoy the long days, mild temperatures and enjoy the possibilities that June brings

Peace and Love,

John

How About a Walk

Daily writing prompt

What are your morning rituals? What does the first hour of your day look like?

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Some days getting out of bed seems difficult. It’s too cold, too dark, too early and the demands of the day feel far too overwhelming. Who amongst us hasn’t contemplated burying themselves deeper under the blankets, pulling them over our head and wishing we could stay there forever or at least until the sun comes out. But we know the longer we stay hidden under the blankets the further we fall behind in our daily responsibilities…..ugh, responsibilities….those things that people count on you to do. If only there were less responsibilities and more time wrapped in blankets dozing in that early morning slumber.

One way to trick myself to get up and moving is to begin the day with a morning walk. I do this even though I realize that I’m getting up earlier than I need to and I’m robbing myself of extra sleep under a warm comforter, but I feel it’s worth it. Living in the mid-west can make these early morning walks difficult and far less appealing than in a warmer climate. Depending on the time of year it’s still dark and cold, and the moon still glows reminding me that perhaps I’m foolish to be out so early. But with my earbuds in my ears and a winter hat covering my head plus enough layers to stay warm I set out to begin my day.

I find it fascinating to see the my neighborhood at this unique time, night drifting away and morning slowly announcing her arrival. I’ve seen deer browsing through our apple trees eating the fallen apples off the ground and even standing on their hind legs plucking them off the trees. They graze uninterrupted until they sense my presence, they freeze and stare at me for a brief moment and then silently hurry away bounding at an astonishing speed. Other nocturnal creatures scurry away as morning approaches like vampires avoiding daylight.

The birds are the first thing I usually notice, especially in the warmer months chirping and singing a beautiful natural wake up to the world. The singing of the birds means that sunrise is not far behind. Frequently as night disappears into daylight the sky is streaked in a mosaic of colors so wonderful I usually stop and appreciate the beauty before me as if standing before a work of art hanging in a museum, but this is a work of art I’m part of as it surrounds me and with it a new day presenting opportunities and possibilities that are endless.

Could I have these same feelings while burrowed under my comforter dozing in a morning slumber….probably not, and I find that my morning walk gets me going and feeling a positive vibe. I’m more likely to accomplish more if I begin the day with a walk although I have discovered that the morning nap after the morning walk is quite a wonderful feeling too.

Peace and Love,

John