God weighed in

Here's what it looked like where Stinky and I washed off in the still dark December lake

God weighed in this morning and he took Jennifer’s side. We have been meeting at 6:15 when it is still really night. Jen worries that the dogs are going to run into something in the dark, like a porcupine or a skunk or a bear. I have pretty much ignored Jen’s worries and forged ahead, getting to the lake even earlier than 6:15 so that I am waiting for ‘Jen who hates to be late’ when she arrives.

This morning Jen arrived and said the first two sentences I could have predicted, oh it’s dark and maybe we should meet a little later. The dogs ran ahead. Rosie has one bad habit. Of course I could not see her carry out her stinky 'rolling in it' desires because it was so dark. About halfway to the halfway mark Rose came up behind me and rubbed her muzzle on me. I pet her. Only then did the enormity of the smell reach my nose. I can’t remember now if that was before or after I agreed to later tomorrow.

Wasting time and money

This morning the word was waste. Yuck. I dislike wasting time, money, food, gas, you name it, I don’t like to waste it. Some days driving to the morning walk I think I am wasting gas. Then I get there:

 

This is where I turn around:

This is almost back to the beginning of the trail head:

Most everyday it is just that beautiful. I have a deep and profound gratitude to be able to make that daily trek. Yet without doubt I question my energy commitment to the time and gas it takes to walk the walk. So too, all my adult life, I have questioned my time and energy commitment to art, to community work and to beauty. As you can imagine, Irene has put me right up against the wall  questioning those commitments and choices. And three months out, as difficult as this time is, my answer remains the same, what else is there?

Rising Up Again

 November mornings it seems as if the sun will not rise. The sun gets going so late, well after 6am. Today's slow motion sunrise seemed to go hand in hand with the oddity of rebuilding a village after a flood. Much as we are steadily working at remaking our lives, it seems almost like a miracle that it is actually happening.