Morning Ramble in the Rain

One of the real benefits to living in the country is being able to walk your land in your nightgown and mud boots in the gray of a rainy morning. I suspect my old grannie nightgown is much more than most folks wear to the store in summer. The ruffled bottom soaking up the water from the ground like a wick. There is a freedom to this behavior that can't be found any where near a city or a 9-5 job, so I count it a special moment each and every time I dance to my own drum beat. Its not marching to a drum beat for me, but dancing with childlike enthusiasm for life, yes for being alive.

Our trees have grown so much with all the rain this year. I was surprised to see how big the black walnut tree on the back fence has grown and was happy to find how well it sheltered me when a momentary down pour occurred. I stood under this natures version of an umbrella while surrounded by tall and short cedar trees, it had the feel of a childs hiding place. We planted a circle of oak trees in 2003, they were so small and just like sticks when we planted them, now they are tall and so full. The fire pit in the center, no longer safe to use as the trees have created a canopy over it. At the "gateway" to this circle of oaks stands a tall Ash tree, my tree, I even named it, actually all the trees in the circle have names, adopted by family members and named by them. This place is special, it feels as though the trees embrace you. I often just sit there thinking or reading, listening to the birds and watching the clouds fly in the patches of sky you can still see. I believe everyone should have a special place to sit and think. To just breath deeply, sigh loudly, and smile broadly. Maybe its in a park or at the waters edge, a hiking trail or on your balcony.
It was warm outside, but still a beaker filled with hot Barry's tea felt perfect. Just a spot of milk and a bit of sugar, just the way I like it. Enough milk to color the tea. Such a simple pleasure... tea after a bit of a ramble on the land. Wisteria climbing up the chicken house is in bloom. In the herb garden, Mullein reaching skyward in straight spikes that can be dipped in beeswax to make torches to light the summer nights. Roses not perfect but yet delightful to the eye. Pears bending branches over from their weight. Figs everywhere on the fig tree. Pecans growing bigger by the day. This morning ramble around the place was so much better than shopping in a mall. The sights and finds so much more delightful and etched in my memory for years to come. Never growing old or wearing out.