A Morning Walk

In the mornings as I go about feeding the animals I take a little extra time to walk around our property and enjoy the splendor that nature has to offer.

Summer has been crazy busy for us, so I revel in this time.

During my mornings walks, I can get lost in time as I am amazed at the simple, everyday beauty that surrounds me.

This morning was very foggy which created an extra layer of elegance. 

Everything glistened in a magical way.

As I started out, the chickens were still sleeping and the sun was desperately trying to peak through.

I captured some pictures with my phone and reflected on life a bit...

My oldest daughter is a senior this year.

How did that happen?

Wasn't it just yesterday that I was pushing her in a stroller through the subdivision on our morning walks?

I taught her words and colors on those walks.

We admired houses, trees, flowers, and well manicured lawns back then.

I also dreamed of the day that I could own a small farm.

My walks now consist of scenery draped with wild flowers, pastures, woods, a creek, and a slew of animals: chickens, cows, cats, and dogs.

It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the day that lays at our fingertips.

If I would have hurried through my morning chores, I would have missed the webs in the pasture, lying just past the dew dropped fence.

It's the charming beauty that lies in the every day...

the here and now...

...the peacefulness that being in nature gives me...

...this is a feeling that I don't ever want to take for granted.

Every where I look, I am reminded that we still have a lot of work to do on our little homestead...

The poison ivy hides itself very cleverly.

Will I ever get rid of it?

The creek still needs cleaned and re-directed a bit to prevent more wash out.

Our homestead is,

and will be for quite some time,

a work in progress.

That's the big picture.

It is what it is.

C'est la vie.

The big picture is going to take time,

but the small picture...

The small picture(s) is what I capture on my morning walks that remind me to live in the moment...

...the wild flowers happily grow along the creek's side,

...the birds sing their song from the gnarly trees,

...the frogs talk to each other,

and the water...

...the bubbling of the water brings a peace over me.

It is a site and sound that reminds me of my childhood days spent at my grandparents.

My morning walks used to consist of tennis shoes and sidewalks.

Now you can find me in pink muck boots deeply breathing the country air.

As I turn another year older next week, I stop to thank God for making this homestead dream a reality.

I truly love (most of) the work that comes along with it.

In this season of life, I don't have a baby in a stroller any more, but I do have company...

On my morning walks I have at least one companion...

The barn cats like to explore with me.

Marina has done this enough with me, that she knows when I start taking pictures, it's best to just climb a pole and wait for me.

Of all the chickens, Betty is the most photogenic.

She happily stops to give me a pose.

The cows?  Not so much...
By the time I get to them, they are just interested in getting their breakfast.

"It is the sweet, simple things in life,
which are the real ones after all."
- Laura Ingalls Wilder