Reflections of a Dulled Mind

Every once in a while my usually incisive brilliant razor sharp adequate mind takes itself on a holiday. Good for it.
It leaves a facsimilie behind to carry on with the heavy lifting of getting me out of bed and through the day. Sadly, that's about all it does.
This appears to be the case now as I am currently enjoying the intellectual capacity of a potato. No, I withdraw that. No slagging of spuds here.
In a way it's good. I am not bothered by deeper thoughts. Or any thoughts really.
It's a nice break once I adjust to it.
It's been a few days. I've yet to adjust.
I look at this picture I took a few months ago and know, just know, it deserves something. It's a "no campfire" sign surrounded by lake water.
I got nuthin'.
I take comfort in knowing my mind will return shortly with tall, exciting tales of adventures had without me.
I hope it hurries back. I miss it.

Gratitude Monday -- Outlook Good

Athabasca Lookout

Yesterday I wore my favourite jeans for while. Well into the afternoon, in fact. These are my pre-heart condition jeans. I've had them for several years and they're comfy, as comfy as anything can be without Spandex.
This bodes well as it means I've lost a whole whack of water weight that I got when my heart messed up.
Even though I'm still in atrial fibrillation, I am considerably better.
The jeans proved it.
Someday soon I'll be able to wear them after lunch and ever after dinner. For now, I am content that they remained comfortable for as long as they did.
The outlook is good.

Photo-Finish Friday --Gone Fishing Edition

Yesterday was a beautiful autumn day. It was the kind of day you know in your heart is a gift and if you don't accept it, then you'll kick yourself on all those other days that are less a gift.
My husband had the day off so we escaped. We took a drive out west along the BigHorn Highway, known here as the Forestry Trunk Road, and spent part of the morning fishing at the pond pictured above.
This pond was once a gravel pit. It has long since been reclaimed and is stocked with trout. It's a gorgeous setting and it makes what would have been an eyesore into a relaxing destination spot.
The fish outsmarted us, as fish do, so we let them be and went on our way further down the trunk road. It made for a wonderful day in the West Country.

Random Acts of Autumn

Welcome to Autumn in the West Country.

Please come through with me.

A fine rhubarb crop rests on my altar.

Four hills of potatoes from my little garden gave me this.

A guest in the yard enjoys a bit of cool in the late afternoon heat.

Thank you for stopping by. I appreciate your visit.

There is a Season

Rosehips in the sandhills at Horseshoe Bend near Fort Assiniboine. Fall comes a bit early there.

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.
- Ecclesiastes 3:1.

And for others among us this may be more familiar:

Either way, enjoy the change.
Happy Autumn, everyone.

Two Sentence Tuesday – Renovation

The two sentences I've read recently may not strike other readers quite the same.
That's fine. They sent me in to fits of barely contained laughter, but my sensibilities came warped right out of the original wrapping, and years of reporting made sure they stayed that way.
This will have to be from memory as I didn’t get a supporting photo, but from a sign in a grocery story currently undergoing an expansion:

“Due to renovations our bakery staff will not be visible.
We are sorry for the inconvenience.”
#
Now that’s one hell of a renovation.

#

The renovations I’m doing on my first fiction manuscript are nowhere near as extensive. I can still see the original form, but some passages bear little resemblance to their humble beginnings.
This is probably good.

Here’s a bit from The Legend of Shallal:

“Talking now was a way of distancing themselves, of returning to separation, of being their own being after the keenness of the session. The danger and excitement of being intellectual lovers seared through their Joining.”

#

For more, or to find out how to participate, please see the Women of Mystery.

Gratitude Monday - Still Useful

As the summer draws to a close and our local world prepares to shut down for the season of cold sleep we might think that winter and it's slice of death is ugly.

No, it isn't. It's a time of rest and rejuventation for plants and animals and a time for the introspective among us to quieten down and look inside.

It's easy to dismiss dead branches and a blanket of snow as being worthless,but if you look at the photo you'll find the goldfinch uses the tree as a lookout as it waits for a chance to get to the feeder.

What's dead to us is a useful lookout, a meeting place, and a home for assorted critters that birds such as woodpeckers feast on.

Dead? Yes. Useless? No.

I'm sure this goldfinch is grateful for the chance to perch a moment to make sure it is safe to feed and I'm equally sure that the woodpeckers who'll be around later on this season are looking forward to their meals in these branches.

This tree still serves a purpose, death has changed the purpose, but it is still useful.

It's not a perspective all that many of us have. I'm grateful I have it.