Goodbye October- Hello November

November 2, 2017November 2, 2017 / doubledacres / 2 Comments

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A pic I took a couple of years ago.

“What good is the warmth summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.” – John Steinbeck Travels With Charley: In Search of America

October must have been in a hurry to get out of Dodge as it gets out of the way to let November in. It flew by. I don’t know if it is because I am getting older, but time seems to have accelerated the last couple of years. The new year 2018 will be upon us before we know it.

I have mixed feelings as October moves on. It always brings back childhood memories of jumping in a pile of fresh leaves, bonfires, apple cider, trick or treating, and the quest to have the perfect “hoodie”. Chili cook-offs, picking apples, searching for the right pumpkin so I can make the Great Pumpkin proud.

On the other hand I am definitely a “snow bunny”. I love to walk in the woods as the snow falls around me. If you stop and listen real hard you can actually hear it snowing. Making snow angels, drinking hot chocolate watching the snow fall, watching the fire dance in the wood stove, these are some of my favorite things about winter.

Another pic I took.

Growing up in the 50s and 60s found us being quite resourceful when it came to sledding. I remember one year we used the hood of an old Buick for a sled. I don’t remember what year car it was but it was one of those hoods that came to a point in the front. It seemed enormous to us back then. Heavy it was and took two of us to pull it back up the hill. We could get 7 of us on it then we would go zipping down the hill at speeds that seemed like 60 mph back then. Only problem was steering. It had none and one day it went farther than usual and it ended up under a parked car. We all got knocked off and thanks to all the winter clothes we walked away with just bruises.

Another favorite of winter was “snow cream”. My mom made the best “snow cream” you ever ate I tells ya. She would make chocolate or vanilla. Someone said one time you weren’t supposed to eat the first snow but it didn’t stop us and we survived. Snow ball fights, snow forts and making a snowman another few of my favorite things about winter.

“My old grandmother always used to say, Summer friends will melt away like summer snows, but winter friends are friends forever.” – George R.R. Martin A Feast For Crows

So as October make its exit and November comes to the forefront I think of all my winter friends and think how lucky I am to have them. I can smell the hot chocolate.

Thanks for reading my blog. Spread the love.

Being Responsible

October 28, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

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“You cannot hope to build a better world without improving the individuals. To that end, each of us must work for his own improvement and, at the same time, share a general responsibility for all humanity, our particular duty being to aid those to whom we think we can be the most useful.” – Marie Curie

I can’t speak for folks outside the US, but inside our borders shirking responsibility seems to be quite fashionable. It is always the fault of someone else.

One of my favorites. Six o’clock news. Interviewing the mother of a fourteen year old boy who stole a car and got injured when he lost control of the car while being chased by the police. Mother: “The police is picking on my son. They didn’t need to chase him. He is only 14 years old and that’s the first car he ever stole.” Oh no, not the boys fault. No siree. If the cops would have waited he would have probably just parked it back where he found it. After all it wasn’t like he was a career criminal. Mom said it was his first!

I hope you realize I am being sarcastic. Mother puts blame on the police not the son. I would say the parenting he is receiving could be some of the problem. What do you think?

“You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have charge of.” – Jim Rohn

Personal responsibility! Oh yeah baby! What, you want me to be responsible for my actions? Absolutely! If you are personally responsible for something then admit it and work it out.

I am a farrier and there was the case of a horseshoer who quicked a horse when he was nailing the shoe on. He pulled the nail finished shoeing the horse and left but didn’t tell the owner what he had done. To make a long story short, the hoof got infected, the owner had a large vet bill and it took the guy quite awhile to admit that he had quicked the horse. If he had took responsibility and told the owner they could have doctored it and that would have been the end of it. If the horse had kicked him, I bet he would have let the owners know.

“We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.” – George Bernard Shaw

We need to become more responsible, our future depends on it. Our actions, environment, children’s education, pets; all our responsibility and we need to be doing a better job. Schools send report cards home to show us how our child is doing. If the grades are bad, be a responsible parent and contact the school and teacher and see what needs to be done to improve his grades.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you enjoyed it. Remember to spread the love.

How Do We Measure Success?

October 2, 2017October 2, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

“To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson wrote this sometime in the mid to late 1800s I believe. I came across it a couple of years ago and it came up on my radar again. In today’s world and my age I consider just waking up on the right side of the dirt as a sign that I have succeeded. If he were to write that today I really wonder what he would have said?

………This is to have succeeded. In life? Love? School? I am going to approach it as “in life.” What is success? According to Merriam-Webster, outcome result; degree or measure of succeeding; attainment of wealth, favor or eminence; one that succeeds.

I racked my little brain and I couldn’t think of anyone that I can say is breathing easier because I am alive. As far as “a redeemed social condition” I had to wrestle with this one and I am not sure I have the right idea however I think Emerson is referring to a certain social group (culturally, politically, economically, etc, really guessing here)one may have helped beat gambling addiction, alcoholism etc. in one of those groups.

To appreciate beauty. Wow, now that could be a loaded gun. I know how society seems to label beauty, usually they don’t look past the outside beauty. I am of the opinion that beauty is the whole package. One can be beautiful on the outside but so ugly on the inside. I see people that are bullied, ridiculed and treated like low class citizens because they may carry a few extra pounds, a noticeable scar, birth mark etc.. The majority of folks just seem to look at a person on the outside without finding out what their heart is made of. They could have a heart of gold and no one ever notices. Seems so sad and such a waste. If you are a person that looks at the “whole” person and not just the outer shell I truly believe that is a true sign of success and you have my utmost respect. So many people are incapable of it.

Oh my gosh , the light bulb just went off!! I thought of someone that breathes easier because I am alive. My doctor. I mean how did I overlook that. After all if I was on the other side of the dirt my doctor would lose that income. After all the money is in the treatment not the cure.

Aw, the betrayal of false friends. Now this is one that can hurt. What is that little saying going around the internet, oh yeah. The only reason some folks are alive is because I don’t want to go to prison, or something like that anyway. That can be a tough pill to swallow. There are some really cold people in the world and they don’t seem to have any problem hurting other people. I think some folks just crave the feeling. Here is another real sign of success I think. If one can truly forgive a false friend that betrayed them I think that is another true sign of success.

I don’t know if it because I am getting old and less trusting, it just seems harder and harder to find the best in others. There is so much dishonesty and hate in the world today that it is hard to trust. To find the best in others you are going to have to trust them. In the past I have recommended horse trainers. These were trainers that I thought they knew what they were doing. Boy was I wrong. I have saw what I thought was good in a lot of folks and just set myself up for a hard fall. With me it is a tough one and if it is something that I have to accomplish to have succeeded in life, I may be running a little short on making it.

Once again thank you for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed it. I truly wish everyone a successful and prosperous life. One filled with success and good times. Spread the love!

Imagination: A Good Thing to Possess

September 26, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

I named this rock formation “Alien Rock”

I didn’t get on the river until around 4:30 p. m. and I knew I wouldn’t have time to do a lot of fishing. I did realize that the retreating sunlight should present some great photo ops so I began looking for those shots that would show the amazing beauty of Mother Nature.

“Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

My mind was working overtime and my imagination was like that of a 60s “flower child” who had taken a hallucinogenic drug. I took several pics of the rock I had named “Alien Rock” trying to capture what I was seeing in my mind. I think the above pic was the best picture to portray what I was seeing and I hope you can see it too.

To me it looks like an alien’s head slowly ascending out of the water just revealing its eyes and nostrils that had just broke the surface of the water. I imagined it rising completely out of the water revealing a body as tall as the bluffs around it.

Well, maybe I am losing it. Maybe the crazy stuff going on in the world is finally taken its toll on me. Maybe I have drank too many Jack and Cokes in my life time. Naw, one can’t drink too many Jack and Cokes. I got it, I need to quit drinking the kool-ade! That’s it!

“I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.” – Robert Fulghum; All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Thoughts On Common Things

Was the alien there extracting lead from underneath the river bed; after all this is part of the old lead belt, or was he looking for a McDonald’s fish filet sandwich? Maybe he is stashing green kryptonite in case he ever had a run in with Superman? Was he a game warden in disguise spying on me. Oh so many possibilities!

Hello, earth to Wayne. Well back to regular programming. Once I figured out what the alien was doing I began floating back to what the locals call the “Bone Hole” and fished as I went. I managed to catch a small largemouth and several small perch. I think the alien must have scared the fish off. Oh crap, it is getting dark. Where did that alien go? I am skeered I tells ya!

“Logic will get you from A to Z; Imagination will get you everywhere”. – Albert Einstein

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog. I am a firm believer that great artists ( painters, writers, musicians, etc.) are full of imagination. I feel it is a must to be really good at what you do. I think we need to emphasize it more than we do. One can not suffer from too much imagination; well maybe I need to rethink that one.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. It is deeply appreciated. Remember to spread the love.

Spread the Love!!

September 10, 2017September 10, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

“The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever.” – The Notebook

Some one asked me the other day what I meant by “spread the love”. What is your passion? Is it reading? Fishing? Equines? Cooking? What ever your passion is “spread the love.” Let the whole world know.

Don’t keep it to yourself. Spread it around so everyone can see what your passion is. If it is crossword puzzles or taking a horse back ride on a moon lit night. I don’t care if it is “makeup artist” or librarian. Keep a journal of the things you think are important. Even if you think it is unimportant. Maybe it is to you but someone may learn from your passion for fishing, mending fences or perfectly content sitting at home. Maybe someone is depressed because they seem to be so content sitting at home doing nothing then they find out from you that you do too and all of a sudden because of the relief you provided them, they are ready to face the cold cruel world again.

Don’t be afraid to compliment someone. That may be just what they need at the time. Say “Hi” to people. Be kind to others and help each other. Read a good book lately? If you have then share it with the people around you. It is about you taking what you love and spreading it around and sharing it with others. The sweet part about it is it doesn’t cost you a penny. Nothing!

So you ask, why spread the love? What difference does it make? Good questions. You may never know if it touched anyone or not. See the elderly couple sitting in the corner booth? They look as if something is bothering them so when you go up to pay for your meal you also pay for theirs. Then you leave without saying a word. Did your act of spreading the love touch them? You will never know.

See the young lady staring at you as you do some sketches in the park? She seems really interested in what you are doing. Art is your passion so you call her over and share your sketch with her. You can see her face light up. Did you sharing your artwork with her touch her life? You will never know. However, what if I told you that the day you showed that young girl your work she became so mesmerized with it that she grew up to be a famous artist? Just because you took a few minutes to spread the love, you changed that young lady’s life.

One of my passions is photography. I usually have a pic or two in my blogs. Sometimes they don’t even have anything in common with what I am writing about. I put them in there hoping that they might inspire someone to pick up a camera and find a passion for photography. Spread the love!

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I hope I have been able to impress upon you that by taking the time to “spread the love” you are making the world a better place. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you enjoyed it. Surround yourself with positive things and stay focused on your dreams. What ever you do, when you are following that dream “spread the love”!

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein

Life Is What You Make It! Be Happy

August 31, 2017August 31, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

Equine Activities

“Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don’t wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it is at your work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.” – Earl Nightingale

Henry David Thoreau told us in Walden, “Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify, simplify! I say let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumbnail.”

Now what an idea. It seems we want our children to participate in every sport there is. I think it is kind of sad that these young people do not really get a chance to really enjoy life going on around them. They don’t have the time to watch a simple sunset or sunrise. Do they ever get the chance to participate in a family meal?

Then there are those who become workaholics and get so wrapped up in their work that they really never learn how fun life can be. They miss out on so much in their family life and all because “they want their children to have it better than they did.” Really? Then start eating together and discussing each other’s day, start taking vacations in the great outdoors. Hug your children and tell them you love them. Most importantly teach them to love themselves and have confidence in themselves.

Photography

“Happiness is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.” – Jim Rohn

So many people look at happiness is a thing of the future, after Johnny graduates, when I get the time, when I get some bills paid off, etc.. Ok, when you get up in the morning, if happiness doesn’t exist in your life then I want you to look in the mirror and say, ” Today is going to be filled with happiness and the only way that can change is I HAVE to let someone change it.” There are so many things you can fill your life with to nurture the happiness in your life. I have posted some of those things under my pics.

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Kayaking

Fishing

Cooking

These are a few examples of what I do. Believe in yourself and assign yourself a dream. A dream that will fill your heart, soul and spirit with pure joy. Live for that happiness now and not for 20 years in the future. You are your own boss and you are in charge of your happiness. Surround yourself with people who are genuinely happy and will lift you up and not pull you down. For those of you that suffer from no happiness in your life don’t give up. Find it. Nurture it. Discover the healing power of happiness.

Thanks for reading my blog. It means a lot. To those of you who take the time to make comments, thank you so much for taking the time to do so. Spread the love!

Teach Our Children Well

August 23, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

“Do all the good you can and create a life that feels good on the inside, not one that just looks good on the outside. It is the inner beauty which matters most.” – Dr Anil Kumar Sinha

We live in a society that places a lot of emphasis on beauty. We become so mesmerized by the beauty on the outside that we fail to see all the ugliness on the inside. Then when that ugliness rears its ugly head we just can’t seem to believe it. We have all heard the stories of the beautiful movie star that was nothing but a witch hidden within a beautiful shell. They did nothing but make the people around them miserable. I think those people are so wrapped up in making the outside, “perfect beauty” that they forget to nurture the spirit within thus depriving themselves of being someone truly beautiful. Now add to this the stress to keep the outside beautiful that manifests itself into anger, depression, anxiety and so on, to the point that now we have a real “Beauty (outer) and the Beast (inner)”.

“Some of us teach ourselves and our children to love the superficial outer; our looks, hair, skin, clothes rather than the greater beauty that resides within whereas it is that inner beauty that really defines you and who you truly are.” – Rassool Jibraeel Snyman

It is time that we throw away the so called “norm” and start teaching our children that true beauty starts within. They need to be taught that beauty starts with a beautiful mind, beautiful heart and a beautiful soul and spirit. We need to emphasize that beauty is created by who they are. Teach them that true beauty comes from looking for the good in others, by being kind and respectful, by helping others, by not spreading negativity, by loving and treating everyone the same and most of all by loving themselves.

I remember watching one of those children beauty pageants one night and I was totally appalled by the disrespect that was shown by the children. They had not been taught that true beauty lies within themselves. It was quite sad actually.

Personally I think children of today are going to be facing some very rough times if we as the teachers don’t change some things. They need to be taught love and respect. They need to be taught how to survive, grow their own food. Hate and racism needs to be removed from their vocabulary. Most of all we need to be setting a better example and we need to start yesterday. I apologize for getting off subject somewhat but what I see happening today makes my heart ache for the children of today.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. It is deeply appreciated. I hope you enjoyed it and walked away with something from it. We don’t live in a perfect world so maybe we need to try to remedy that by teaching our children well.

Leave Negativity Behind

August 21, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

When you look at this picture do you see a storm approaching and run to batten down the hatches or do you drink in all the colors and become mesmerized by the beauty?

“I realized that if my thoughts immediately affect my body, I should be careful about what I think. Now if I get angry, I ask myself why I feel that way. If I can find the source of my anger, I can turn that negative energy into something positive.” – Yoko Ono

I know I have written about negativity before in my blogs however, I don’t think enough has been said about it and the affects it has on peoples’ lives. I see it enslaving so many people in these trying times. It becomes their “master” and drags down their self-esteem and emotionally drains them and leaves them no hope of a life filled with joy. Depression runs rampant in their life and once it takes control the downward spiral begins.

Thunderhead or dragon head?

“Haters never win. I just think that’s true about life, because negative energy always costs in the end.” – Tom Hiddlestone

I am a very negative person, how do I change? First off I am no doctor, counselor or therapist. I am just a “been there done that” kind of guy. My first suggestion would be to sit down and look at all the peeps you hang with. Positive or Negative? Don’t surround yourself with negative people. Keep a journal of your day to day activities and thoughts. At the end of the week, sit down and calculate how much negativity is in your journal. Don’t dwell on the negative things n your life, past and future.

“People tend to dwell more on negative things than on good things. So the mind then becomes obsessed with negative things, with judgments, guilt and anxiety \produced by thoughts about the future and so on” – Eckhart Tolle

Now I know there are those of you sitting there thinking, “I know someone like this. What can I do to help?” Every time they do something good, praise them. Help them to regain their self-esteem. Give them respect, love and something to bring them out of their depression. Be their sounding board. Be patient and don’t push them.

Remember folks that YOU decide what kind of day you are going to have. Nobody is going to PP on your parade unless you let them. You are going to have some tough times and decisions. Once you get negativity under control and replace it with positive energy you will see a big difference in your life.

Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you enjoyed.

Do You Know Your Neighbor?

August 1, 2017August 1, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

“I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor?” – Mother Teresa

I grew up in the 1960s during the Vietnam War, the British invasion of the Beatles, the assassination of John F Kennedy and when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr made his “I Have A Dream” speech, as well as his assassination. I also saw man walk on the moon.

It was also the time when young people began to revolt against conservative norms of the time and removed themselves from mainstream liberalism. A new “counterculture” was born. The participants in this new movement were known as “hippies”.

“To love our neighbor as ourselves is such a truth for regulating human society, that by that alone one might determine all the cases in social morality.” – John Locke

How many of you remember the “Hippie”? Rejected established institutions, criticized the values of the middle class, the Vietnam War and nuclear weapons were a huge “no no”, championed sexual liberation, were often vegetarians, and promoted the use of psychedelic drugs. Peace, love and drugs.

There was a lot of love to go around in this group. Often times living in communes. ridiculed and despised by most of America. Peace! Love! I think for the most part people were afraid of them because they didn’t understand them. This is purely my opinion and I have no facts to back it up. One thing for sure is that today’s society could use some of the love they were trying to spread around.

Love thy neighbor! How can you love your neighbor if you don’t know them? Why don’t we know our neighbors? Are we too busy? We don’t care? Trust issues? I remember when everyone in the neighborhood knew each other and when someone was in need the others were there. Neighbors cared about each other and were like one big family. I can’t remember where it all changed. Maybe it changed so slowly I just missed it but how I wish those days would return. Neighbors looked out for each other and their property.

I hope one day America can return to those days. It is still alive and enjoyed by much of rural America. Hopefully some day it will catch on in urban America and take root in the cities. Personally I think society could benefit from everyone loving their neighbor like they love themselves.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it and if you did then please hit the like button. Love thy neighbor, be kind to one another and spread the love.

Is it that we are afraid of them because we don’t understand them

Life, Are You Living It?

July 15, 2017July 15, 2017 / doubledacres / Leave a comment

“Life isn’t about finding yourself

Life is about creating yourself.” – George Bernard Shaw

Life can be so complicated and full of twists and turns. Are you living it to the fullest or are you just merely nothing more than a slave. Are you one that runs up your credit cards? Do you live from paycheck to paycheck? Do you suffer from instant gratification? Instead of saving the money to buy something one buys the merchandise on a credit card because they want it now. So you run up your cards and you can’t pay it off. Now you are a slave to the banks/credit cards. Credit cards can become a financial burden that can make it harder to enjoy life.

Are you a workaholic? You just have a need to work. If you are then you need to step back and reevaluate where you are. If you are single then you are only hurting yourself but if you are married, then the whole family suffers. You will begin losing touch with your family. Children need their mother AND father.

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live.”– Norman Cousins

When we are young it seems we have so many dreams and things we want to accomplish in life and then as we grow older some of those things start to die a slow death. Perhaps it is because we give up too soon or as we grew older we lost interest or in our mind, thought they weren’t attainable. Never give up.

“It is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder

I realize I am no one special, no doctor or shrink but I am going to share what I think one needs to do to live life. Slow down, look around and take a good look at the things in nature that surround you. Maybe my elevator doesn’t go all the way to the top but I take great joy in watching a honey bee work a flower, a spider spin it’s web. I love to hear the birds singing in early dawn as I watch the sun rise. I love sitting on the river and watch the wildlife starting their day in the early morning dawn. At night on the river I listen to the symphony presented by the bull frogs and crickets. The crack of a beaver’s tail warning the others. These things are simple but rejuvenate the spirit. The greatest thing is they cost you absolutely nothing but slowing down and taking the time to enjoy them. That my friends is what I call living life at its fullest.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. If you like please let me know. Be kind to one another, spread the love and don’t squat with your spurs on.