Little Blessings pt 2

Yesterday I wrote about finding little blessings I notice when I am able to wander off the beaten path. Sometimes the little blessings wander out to find you. This little fawn would come into my dad’s yard and bed down every day a couple of years ago. I don’t own a lens any larger than 300 mm so that means I have to get close. For this little guy that meant slowly stepping out into the yard and allowing him to think that he was well hidden in the grass. It seemed to take forever to gain his confidence as I stretched out in the grass near to him and pretended to be ready for a nap myself. The trick is to make it seem natural to be there. Moving cautiously but trying not to look like a stalker. Whitetail deer communicate with tail movements. Most people know that a raised tail means danger but few know that a low quick wagging if a deer’s tail means that all is well. Learning what tale the tail is telling takes a little practice. Using my flattened hand to mimic a mother doe at ease and crawling around like I was grazing eventually paid off as the fawn began to relax. I followed suit and laid down fully about twenty feet (approximately 6 meters) away. I purposely began to breathe slowly and rhythmically as if falling asleep. The little fawn curled up and soon he was in dream land. I hope to get more wildlife photography to share with you as time goes on. My mountains hold many such little blessings.

Little Blessings

One of the blessings of my Appalachian home is that there’s always some little treasure to find. I’m the guy who always seems to be drawn off the pathway to examine whatever might be in bush. Insects, small flowers, animal tracks and odd shaped stones are irresistible to me. There are little treasures everywhere. We just need to slow down and find them.

The image above was taken in Jodie, West Virginia, Fayette County.

Crossing Over

There are many crossings in this world. Places where one leg of life’s journey ends and the next one begins. Human beings are a funny lot. We dream about moving forward into adventure but don’t want to leave the familiar behind. We can’t wait to graduate from school but spend the rest of our lives in nostalgia.

I occasionally pull out a playlist of music from the 80s and play the roll of a silly middle-aged man for my twenty something and thirty something coworkers. I recount the days and tell the stories of the times that formed who I am today. It’s entirely for entertainment purposes. The truth is that our glory days are ahead of us not behind us. We need to take the next step if we want to achieve our full potential. We need to trust the bridge and cross over into that new territory.

The image above was taken at Hawks Nest State Park in West Virginia.

Daydreaming of Summer

I can’t believe it’s still Winter. Well, more to the point, I don’t want to believe it’s still Winter. I’ve had enough of gray skies, muddy roads, cold and damp. I want to see green grass, blue skies and life everywhere I look. I miss the butterflies and honeybees that fill my yard. Warm weather brings songbirds to my mountain. I know each one of them by their voices. Some of them have returned every year to live in the brambles in the edge of my yard.

The Ironweed in the photo is a late summer flower. It emerges during the warmest part of the year.

Today I’m hiding from ice and snow but in my heart it’s still Summer.

The Quest For Simplicity

I spent most of the day listening to the soundtrack of my youth. Specifically, Simple Man by Lynard Skynard. It’s an anthem for young men of my age group who grew up in rural Appalachia. The lyrics speak of valuing the truly meaningful things in life like love, family and time spent experiencing life. I’ve considered the concept most of day and decided to add a few thoughts.

A trophy is meaningless if it wasn’t earned. No struggle means no victory.

Never confuse lust for love. Lust goes away eventually. Love will carry you for a lifetime.

Don’t confuse a simple life with a life of poverty. It’s okay to have stuff but don’t value your stuff to the point it rules your life.

Don’t spend too much time climbing the ladder. The best thing you can ever give your family is you.

Don’t mistake complaining for a plan of action. Simply pointing out a problem won’t make it go away. Learn how to see the roots of the issue and put action into resolution.

Don’t confuse quality of life with quantity of life. This one is a little hard to nail down. Everyone has their own idea of what quality they admire. One person might want to travel to exotic localities while another just wants to care for a family.

I guess my point is that it’s good to examine your life and ve sure that you’re not being so busy building a life that you miss out on living. The noise and pressure of voices on tv and such trying to define what our goals should be can get a little overwhelming. It’s good to push them back and make sure we actually value those opinions.