Grounded Clouds

06 Monday Jan 2014

Posted by judithar321 in aging, environment, friendship, inspiration, marriage, pets, travel

Tags

Dominique Browning, Morocco, Slow Love Life, weather

When the weather goes from cold and snowy to warm and rainy, the air becomes thick with moisture as though the clouds have dropped to the ground.

Walking through the mysterious murk, we heard voices before we could see their source. Dogs popped in and out of the grounded clouds.

Last January, I claimed the word “focus” as my New Year’s vow, and some things are sharper today than they were back then. Yet I’m viewing the year ahead through a soft-focus lens. The changes and events to come are as foggy as these woods. I’m okay with that uncertainty.

If I learned anything from my year of increased focus, it was that the best, most memorable experiences came when I just let them, when I stayed in the moment and swayed with the wind of life rather than fighting it. My trip to Morocco is but one example.

Of all the New Year posts and articles I’ve read these past weeks, it is Dominique Browning’s words that I keep repeating over and over in my mind. She was recounting her year, “It was a big year. But every year is a big year,” she wrote. And then she said,

Every day is a big day. That is what we realize when we are older. That we are lucky enough—and that is all it is, plain dumb luck—to be here makes it a big day, a big year.

So maybe my “resolution” this year—if you want to call it that—is to celebrate my life and luck every day. I’m going to burnish my love for my family and friends until it is a beacon they will return to over and over again. I’ll make every day a big day.

Weather

17 Tuesday Dec 2013

Posted by judithar321 in environment, pets

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

nature, snow, winter weather

Yes, it is beautiful after the first snowfall. And so quiet you can almost hear a feather being ruffled by the wind.

And I finally got a clear shot of this hornet’s nest that I picked out through the trees last summer.

But it’s cold, too. This morning when I walked into the kitchen the thermometer read 1 degree Fahrenheit. “It’s dangerously cold,” Paul said. Karina and I waited for the temperature to rise into the double digits.

When it hit 10 degrees, I began layering on the thick socks, long underwear, heavy jeans, sweater with turtleneck to pull over my nose, down coat, hat, boots, gloves — and then I took a step and felt something sticking into my foot. Oy….

It wasn’t so bad once we got out. No wind, and our neighbors John and Marie, assisted by their big, jolly lab, Yankee, had tramped out a short loop in the woods with their snow shoes.

It’s the time of year when I look longingly ahead to striding down clear pathways in a pair of my favorite shoes instead of trudging through snow and ice in my clumsy-but-warm winter boots.

For now though, I’m taking a page from AA: One day at a time.

(Good thing, too, because when I lifted my head to look outside after hitting “publish,” more snow was starting to fall.)

October Morning

20 Sunday Oct 2013

Posted by judithar321 in environment, meditation, pets

≈ 4 Comments

Crisp, cool, crystal-clear are the adjectives of the day. We walked quietly over a carpet of leaves.

The tops of pine trees turned to feathers in the sun.

The wind above us rubbed the bare trees together until their whines filled the air

And a medium-sized dog

was dwarfed by the old, old, trees.

We ended the walk in a big field, where Karina turned on the gas and expressed our joy at Being. Right Here. Right Now.

Video:

Meandering

31 Saturday Aug 2013

Posted by judithar321 in art, environment, inspiration, meditation, pets, writing

≈ 1 Comment

This summer I’ve begun numerous posts and articles – ideas that haven’t quite gelled. This week alone I started one post on lipstick and another about a news story that I read back in July. I’ve always thought of myself as someone who is good at finishing things, taking a project and seeing it through to the end. When it comes to writing for myself, however, it’s not so straightforward.

This morning, Karina and I went for a walk at Mount Misery. As we wandered down its broad trails, we met a friendly, apricot-colored Cockapoo named Goldie. A little later we heard something big running through the trees. It was a white-tailed deer and Karina gave chase. I called and called, until she finally returned to my side.

A minute later, I heard the loud patter of rain hitting the leaves above. Under their shelter, only a few cooling drops made it to the back of my neck.

The rain changed the look of the trail and for a few moments, I wasn’t sure which turn to take. We backtracked, and then I realized we were on the right path after all. That slight change in the light and resulting misstep reminded me that meandering, both in life and in writing, is important—essential, actually.

Those unfinished pieces and half-baked ideas have not been a waste of time. You have to keep working, even when you feel as though you are going nowhere. Regular practice provides us with more opportunities to get lost and then pay attention when we find ourselves on the edge of new territory.

One of the projects I’ve been working on this summer is a piece about an artist I admire. I have learned much from her and her work. Among other things, she has reminded me that making mistakes and following false leads can force you to explore unexpected places. Meandering, wandering, starting and stopping: all good.

Eventually, something will take hold, and you’ll find your way home.

The sun was bright, the woods were deep….

05 Monday Aug 2013

Posted by judithar321 in environment, inspiration, meditation, pets

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Concord MA, dog walk, dogs, environment, Mount Misery, photography

The morning walk is sacred in our house. We go every day without fail unless there’s something falling from the sky that makes it too dangerous. No worries about that on this day. It was a beautiful summer morning.

The sun shot through the rows of trees, lighting up the mossy rocks and stumps. It can be hard to get the camera to see things the way you do. (You’ll see more if you click on the photos to enlarge them.)

But sometimes a snapshot captures the moment perfectly.

And other times, your patience is rewarded.

Wet

14 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by judithar321 in environment, meditation, pets

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

dogs, ferns, pine trees, rainy days, water

The woods are beautiful in the rain. It’s an opportunity to focus on the details.

Wet, chilly weather can be a downer until you are willing to embrace the sogginess.

Blue and Pink

01 Saturday Jun 2013

Posted by judithar321 in environment, friendship, inspiration, pets

≈ 18 Comments

Tags

blue, gardening, pink, spring

Iris

In the interest of good diplomatic relations and international connectivity, I thought I’d take a page from my friend Heather’s blog and do a color-themed post.

The truth is, I’d been meaning to capture all the spring pinks and blues in my yard before they disappear. I almost missed my chance because a heat wave this week has wilted many of them. So I rushed through the yard last evening, clicking away.

Does anyone else remember Polish director Krzysztof Kieślowski’s “Three Colors” trilogy? It came out in the early 1990’s and at the time, “Bleu” was my favorite. As it turns out, bleu in all its variations is my favorite garden color, but pink is nice too.

False indigo

Columbine

Sadly, this Little Miss Kim lilac has lost all her color. Before her flowers opened, they were the bright color of Welch’s grape jelly. But what you can’t see here — or smell — unfortunately, is her fragrance which filled the yard yesterday morning after the heat hurried up her blooms.

More columbine

These geraniums grow wild in the woods behind my house. They are welcome “volunteers” in my garden. Even when the flowers are gone, I love the shape of their leaves.

Wild geraniums

Ditto this wild flox.

Wild flox

And these pansies ….. I planted them by Boots’s grave last fall and, surprisingly, they came back after the winter’s cold and snow. It feels as if Boots is giving us a little wave. Pats to you, dear Boots.

And speaking of beloved pets, and in keeping with today’s theme, isn’t Karina’s polka dot collar just the thing for spring? (Click on the photo for a closer look.)

And, of course, like some of the prettiest flowers, she has a very pink tongue.

Dog World

03 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by judithar321 in friendship, health, inspiration, pets, work, writing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

dogs, Kathleen Volp, Moccatomic, Rhodesian ridgeback

It’s the weekend and after a busy week at the computer, I am taking the day off. There is so much I want to write about, so many thoughts crowding in, but none are yet ready to make the transition from brain to paper.

Instead, I’ll share a few photos from our mid-February week of dog sitting.

Zoe came on a Tuesday. She is a black and white dynamo and Karina’s closest friend. She is a year or two older than Karina and had a litter of puppies before Kathleen rescued her.

Being more worldly than Karina, Zoe likes to introduce her to new experiences. For example, she has instructed Karina in the fine art of humping (as I said they are very close friends) and demonstrated for her how to chew a carrot, explaining why that’s better than burying it in your bed.

The two of them tussle constantly, even when they are at rest.

The Saturday after Zoe arrived, Kola was dropped off. She is an eight-year-old Rhodesian ridgeback. Kola is the dignified older sister we all wish we could have. She may occasionally act as though she is above the antics of her younger siblings, but in truth she hates to miss out on anything.

Being an older, bigger dog, Kola reminds me of our Hobbes when he was in his prime, and because of that she has captured a special piece of my heart. She is always eager to help in the kitchen and stands politely at my elbow when I’m cooking, ready to catch any stray ingredients before they slide to the floor. Whenever we return from a human-only excursion, Kola always greets us with a shoe in her mouth. As it happens, she comes from a family of shoe people.

The morning after Kola arrived, the three dogs enjoyed Sunday breakfast together and then took a moment to sit for the camera.

After the morning walk, there were naps. Zoe and Kola commit to their daytime snoozes with every fiber in their bodies.

While as hostess, Karina keeps an eye on things.

In fact, she’s a diligent hostess, getting up each night in the wee hours to make sure her guests are still safely tucked in.

At the end of the weekend, Zoe went home and a few days later, Kola did too.

CSI Concord

25 Monday Feb 2013

Posted by judithar321 in environment, inspiration, meditation, pets

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

Birders: The Central Park Effect, Concord MA, coyote, nature, possum, wildlife

It’s another snowy Monday in the neighborhood. The weekend’s storm only left a few inches, but it’s sticky stuff. It clung to tree branches and blackened their trunks with its wetness.

How weary I am of winter and how I long for a change of scene. But no matter what the weather, Karina needs her morning walk. So when we set out this morning, I tried to focus on the lovely details.

I stopped to take some photos, and Paul and Karina went on ahead. While hurrying to catch up, I was stopped in my tracks by a gory remnant, left right in the middle of the trail. (Warning: the next two images may disturb sensitive readers.)

Paul told me that he had spotted a set of lone paw prints, unaccompanied by human boot tracks. A coyote must have captured the unlucky possum.

As we continued our walk, I thought about all the activity that happens in these seemingly peaceful woods when we are not here. There must be some wild goings-on behind the scenes, so to speak.

In these woods, as in life, there is so much mystery just beneath the surface.

And speaking of hidden worlds, I highly recommend this documentary that is showing on HBO entitled, “Birders: The Central Park Effect.” Here is the trailer.

A Visit with Nemo

10 Sunday Feb 2013

Posted by judithar321 in environment, inspiration, pets

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

dogs, Nemo, snow, snowshowing

Blue tracks. Photo by Paul Syversen.

At first it was pretty. Then it got pretty exciting. Karina didn’t know where/how to do her business in snow deep enough to swallow her. Cabin fever set in. And then today, a beautiful walk on snowshoes through our local woods.