Friday, September 28, 2012

The Gift of Vision


daily haiku
trees are becoming
a river of gold reaching
from mountains to me


The photos don't do the trees justice - too much haze either due to fire or dust - I am not sure which. They are at their peak right now but are beginning to lose leaves mostly due to death from drought.

Yesterday I was with my friend Bruce.  As I parked the car in the parking lot he said,"Why don't you park over there in the shade?" I looked and there was a shady place under a tree. I moved the car and then laughed and told him - "Bruce, it takes a blind person to see things sometimes!" With his disability, Bruce could see what I did not.  Light and shadow. My mind was already in the store searching for the product I wanted to buy.

Often I allow my mind to get ahead of the present and miss something that is beautiful or interesting that is close to me.  I remember when I first started working at the Detox in Lame Deer. So many tasks to do and not many people to help.  My friend Harold Fisher would say to me, "Slow down, Christine, slow down!"  So I would take time to sit and chat with him and have never regretted it. My first husband often said, "It'll still be there tomorrow."  So very true. 

I finally finished a task which I did not attack hammer and tongs, but I did have a vision in mind. The guestroom was full of junk and many, many books belonging to my husband. I just could not face sorting it out - it was too overwhelming. Then I read in my daily Guideposts about using ten minute increments to work on a project - anyone can manage ten minutes a day. So I started, and once started I kept at it a bit at a time until this week I have a clean, tidy and pleasant guest room - the vision.  Books were mailed and donated; old technology taken to the dump - no recycling plant in Birney; I parted with years and years of magazines that I had to admit I had not re-read in at least 5 years; family history papers were mailed to the children who hopefully will pass them on to the next generation.

Last week I was diagnosed with a new health problem. It was frightening, caused me to panic for a while. But I remembered my 12 step program and it helped me to get calm again, and now I have a new vision - me as a healthy old lady!  Thanks to Bruce for his gift of "special" sight.


Sunday, September 16, 2012

Fall Creeps In... on little cat feet (apologies to Carl Sandburg)


daily haiku
ash and box elder
flame their way into the fall
equinox this week

Today there is a 20% chance of rain which is pretty low, so I am praying.  This past week we had three mornings with light frost that took cucumbers, tomatoes and all tender plants. It also turned the some trees to gold,. and fall colors are creeping in. If we don't have a big wind I think the color in the valley will be spectacular this year.

Everything around the house looks so sad. The grass is dead; many leaves have fallen from the trees because they died from thirst not frost. Even my hardiest plant - mint - that I use for greenery in this arid climate is mostly dead. I water with the bad methane water hoping that it will preserve the roots so it will revive next spring.

As you can see from the photo we still have smoke around us coming from the many fires further away. But thank God not in the immediate vicinity at present. One thing for which to be thankful are the cooler daytime temperatures in the 70's and low 80's. I was able to sit outdoors and read one day. After I put down my book and just relaxed for a while, a bluebird flitted down and twittered at me from the fence.  I asked him why he had not flown south yet, but he was silent about that. Later he and the missus were in front of the house and checking out the nest under the eaves , so evidently they are nestlings from this year's brood. I saw bluebirds on my daily walk too, so evidently warmer weather will continue for a while yet - bluebirds know for sure.

In contrast to the bluebirds, the herd of Elk are back at the Diamond Cross Ranch; they obviously sense fall and breeding time and sought out their favorite grazing in the alfalfa fields along the Tongue River. Soon there'll be reports of Bears. With the cool nights I can sleep without the air conditioner - such a joy - in the fall I swear the Bear in me comes out too. I sleep so deeply it's like hibernation!