GLOOMY DEPRESSING START TO THE DAY ENDS IN FEELING GOOD SUNSHINE

  

THOUGHT THIS PERCHING BUZZARD & OLD GHOSTLY HOUSE WENT WELL TOGETHER

Disappointed to see it raining when I got up this morning. Didn't take long for my mood to match the grumpy weather. Thoughts of sitting around the house again had me between a rock & a hard place. Couldn't get my interest super-charged enough to fire up the Jeep & head out for a drive. Well, maybe I was having problems getting myself going but I'll bet you know who wasn't. Pheebs was just beside herself with excitement & she would not let up. She followed me everywhere, she was on my lap every time I sat down, she practically walked on my shoes in front of me & she made it perfectly clear, rain or no rain, we were going for a ride in the Jeep or else. She knew I was feeling down & she knew if she could get me going I was going to feel better. Of course she was right. About 9:30 I finally gave in & off we went. 

 

Rain had quit but sky's were heavily overcast & roads were wet. No matter, we were going to have ourselves a good day. Wheeled off onto a muddy country road for starters & made our way to the Hullett Marsh. Knew it would be wet in there but we went anyway. Trails are not maintained anymore in the Marsh & I knew the knee & waist high grass would be sopping wet. We did manage a short walk along an old road & by the time we got back to the Jeep Pheebs was soaked, had burrs in her tail & mud on her paws. All readily transferred into the Jeep of course. But no matter, that’s what Jeeps are for & it was just great to be out & about. No heat & no humidity. In fact I had 2 shirts on. One short sleeve in case the day turned warm & 1 long sleeve flannel shirt over top to keep the cool breezy morning air at bay. Actually had a little heat cranked on in the Jeep. 
 

 

ANOTHER FINE MORNING IN THE HULLETT MARSH
Despite our morning’s heavy overcast the Marsh landscape was beautiful. A distant flock of geese landing & several great Blue Herons lifting off the water as we drew near.  A lone Turkey Vulture atop a tall long dead tree sat stoically drying it’s wings.  It was a moody sky over sullen swamp waters ruffled slightly by a crisp westerly breeze.  There is beauty in nature wherever one looks if one has their mind open to it.  If thoughts are heavy the eye doesn’t see.  One must clear those thoughts & openly welcome what nature has to offer.

 

From the Marsh we headed northward kicking up clods of mud behind us.  Clouds brightened slightly & far, ever so far to the west where I knew the lake to be, I could see  tell tale signs of patchy blue sky.  Pheebs on the front seat worked away at a swatch of burrs in her tail while I did my best to dodge a few water puddles here & there.  We were heading for the little village of Ripley where I knew a house to be for sale.  Not really interested in it but it was a findable destination for us.  High Noon saw us sitting on the road in front of the house looking at it.  Just as I thought, not for us.  And with that we skedaddled right back out of town & resumed our muddy road journey swinging the nose of the Jeep southwards.

A RIPENING FIELD OF BEANS

 

GOT OURSELVES A LITTLE MUDDIED UP TODAY & ‘OMG’ I EVEN WASHED THE JEEP WHEN WE GOT HOME

 

The heavy overcast began breaking up & we were soon deluged in great warming splashes of sunshine traveling across the landscape.  What a great lift it is to see blue sky & sunshine after a few days of gloomy dark skies.  Ripening bean fields sprang to life & corn fields as far as the eye could see took on a glisten as the sun reflected off millions of raindrops on acres & acres of emerald green corn husks.  And to think, if Pheebs hadn’t dragged me out of my recliner this morning & surely would have missed what turned out be another truly awe inspiring day in a truly awe inspiring country surrounding.  We made many stops along many roads taking a photo here, a couple photos there.  Even made it to a secluded beach.  Will run the beach pics Wednesday.  It was just one of those exceptionally scenic days with a patterned cloudy backdrop right out of a Rembrandt painting.  No matter the troubles in the world, no matter the troubles in the mind, if one can open themselves to see the true handy work of nature’s finest works around them it has to have a refreshingly positive effect on one’s well being.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  John was driving his pickup down a country lane when suddenly a chicken darts out into the road in front of him. He's just about to slam on his brakes to avoid the chicken when he realizes that the chicken has sped on ahead doing about 30 miles per hour.  Amazed, he sped up to follow, but the chicken takes off faster and faster. Finally the chicken screeches into a turn and goes into a small farm. As he turns to follow, John notices that the chicken has three legs. He pulls to a stop in front of the farmhouse, and looking around, notices that ALL the chickens have three legs.
He says to the farmer, "Three-legged chickens? That's astounding!"
The farmer replies, "Yep, I bred 'em that way -- I love drumsticks."
John: "Well, tell me, how does a three-legged chicken taste?"
Farmer: "Dunno, haven't been able to catch one yet."
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.