You carry Mother Earth within you. She is not outside of you. Mother Earth is not just your environment. In that insight of inter-being, it is possible to have real communication with the Earth, which is the highest form of prayer.
“Life is a question and how we live it is our answer.” – Gary Keller
One definition of life according to Merriam Webster: The physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual.
I don’t think it makes any difference if you are born rich or poor, your life will be a product of your decisions. It is a fact that in your early years your decisions will be greatly influenced by your parents. The final decision rests squarely on your shoulders.
“Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” Marcus Aurelius
There are so many that try to achieve happiness through materialistic things. They think that a new 3500 square foot home or $80,000 new vehicle will be their answer to their quest for happiness and in the end happiness is nowhere to be found. We need to change our way of thinking in our pursuit of happiness.
In my humble opinion I believe we should take the time to explore ourselves and get to know what really makes us happy. What you like and don’t like in life. Feed the “likes” and change the “don’t likes”. Happiness starts within our hearts. The seed is there we just have to give it what it needs to grow.
“Believe that life is worth living and your belief will help create the fact.” – William James
I know I have heard many people say set your goals high and you will achieve more. I have come to believe that is the wrong decision to make. I think they should be realistic and when we reach them we can set higher goals but within reach.
As we struggle to meet unrealistic goals we start to become depressed. We lose our “belief” and begin to think “is life really worth it.” At this point it is essential to get that “belief ” back in our way of thinking.
Everyone makes bad decisions in their life. We have to learn from these. If we don’t we learn nothing from the experience. We and only we are responsible for our decisions. We also need to take responsibility even for our bad decisions. Quit putting the blame on others.
In closing I would like to say we need to resurrect “common sense” and “respect”. Most importantly we have to learn to love one another.
Note: this is just an opinion of a retired farrier concerning life. It is meant to provoke the minds of those who read it to form their own opinions.
“Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” Woodrow T Wilson
Friendship is the glue that binds people to each other. True friendship can bring happiness into one’s life.
Fair weather friends tend to give friendship a bad reputation. They cause heartbreak and create a stormy relationship.
“A friend is someone who understandS your past, believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are.” – Unknown
True friendship is when you both realize there are certain topics you have to avoid talking about.A silent understanding that sometimes you just have to agree to disagree. It’s respecting each other’s believes and ideologies so as not to jeopardize your friendship.
“The friendship that can cease has never been real.”- St. Jerome
“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” – Marcel Proust
“The spring wakens us, nature’s is, and revitalizes us. How often does your spring come? If you are a prisoner of the calendar, it comes once a year. If you are creating authentic power, it comes frequently, or very frequently. – Gary Zukav
Winter has handed the scepter off to Spring and nature begins the transformation of Mother Earth. The warmth of spring defeats the chill of winter and the growing season begins.
The hillside that was barren in the winter is now beginning to pop with the blooms of the redbud, wild plum and dogwood. Wild flower blooms begin to populate the prairie floor.
The offspring of the animals can be seen by their mother’s side. The spring rains begin watering the flowers and trees. The farmer begins the job of preparing machinery so he can plant his crops. Mother Earth has come full circle with the rebirth of nature.
You have to take the bad with the good. I don’t know how many times I have heard this in my lifetime. Sometimes I think that saying is very well represented by spring.
Spring storms can wreak so much havoc on nature. Tornadoes destroy everything in their paths. It has no mercy for anything in it’s path. Then it is over just like that, the sun pops out then a rainbow appears. The bad with the good.
I’m continually inspired by nature, and the rainbow is one of nature’s greatest phenomenons. The sighting of a rainbow never fails to bring a smile to people’s faces. They signify optimism and positivity: with them comes the sunshine after the rain.” – Matthew Williamson
So spring has officially started. Won’t be long and folks will begin opening their pools. Hoping you all have a safe and prosperous spring.
Spread the love and be kind to one another.
Big River near Fletcher, MO.
“There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship” – Thomas Aquinas
On October 9, my long time friend Mark and I finally got together for a float on the Big River. We have been trying to get together for a float for 3 months now. It was well worth the wait. The temps were in the upper 70s, and the water was clear. It was overcast with the sun popping out from time to time. All in all it was setting up to be a great day.
Big River near Fletcher, MO.
I brought along 3 poles and Mark had brought only one. I use ultra-lights with 4 pound test line. We launched our yaks at Mammoth access and planned to float to Merrill Horse access. I believe it is a little over 5 miles.
The leaves on the trees were starting to change colors but unfortunately their colors hadn’t matured yet. It was quite breezy however we were able to handle it. The river was low but we never had to get out and pull our yaks across shallow places.
“Rivers run through our history and folklore, and link us as a people. They nourish and refresh us and provide a home for dazzling varieties of fish and wildlife and trees and plants of every sort. We are a nation rich in rivers.” – Charles Kuralt
I caught this nice 15 1/2 inch smallmouth.
The fish bit real well for a while and then they shut down. While they were biting they weren’t picky. We caught them on a Rebel Wee-Craw and Floating Minnow, Pig and Jig, and Plastic Worms (two different colors). We caught perch, largemouth and smallmouth. The length limit of smallmouth in Missouri (on the Big River) is 15 inches. I choose not to keep smallmouth because it takes one 6 to 7 years to reach 15 inches.
Big River
“The River…It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing. Lord! the times we have had together!” – Kenneth Grahame
Everything was going smoothly and then it happened. My paddle broke and we still had some swift places to get through and without the proper paddle they would have been difficult to navigate. This is why one should always carry a knife with them.
Well I think Mark and I would be classified as country boys and maybe a hillbilly tag on myself. So we went to work and fixed the paddle good enough to get me back to the boat ramp. McGyver would have been proud of us.
Paddle Repair 101
It was a good day. I always enjoy my time on the river and it is nice when a friend goes a long to enjoy it with you.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you enjoyed it. Be kind to one another and spread the love.
Bourbeuse River in the fall.
“The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.” – John Muir
I have been having a battle with writer’s block and I seem to be losing. Wanted to go to the river this weekend but with forecast calling for 3 to 6 inches of rain in the area and flash flood warnings I decided to pass. I would have to wait for another chance.
I long for that much needed quiet time on the river with the croaking bullfrogs, crickets, the howling of the coyotes and that occasional slap of the beaver’s tail on the water warning the other beaver in the area that they have an intruder within their territory.
“There is a love of wild Nature in everybody, and ancient mother – love ever showing itself whether recognized or no, and however covered by cares and duties.” – John Muir
Borubeuse River on a fall morning.
I love gazing into the night sky at all the stars shining down upon me. The peace and tranquility soon overtake me and allows my spirit and soul to recharge. I become one with Nature at this moment and feel all the negative energy exit my being and I begin to look at life with a positive attitude. It allows me to use logic in my thinking unencumbered by my emotions. It is a feeling I will never be able to adequately express with words. It is something that one must experience and feel in their heart before one can understand the true feeling of total peace within oneself.
If for some reason I lose the ability to be able to interact with Nature and the river in this capacity, I will not be long of this world. I truly understand how John Muir had such and immense love of the mountains. His mountains are my rivers. I wish I could just live on the banks of the river and explore it daily. It is my Utopia my safe place. My experiences on the river enhance my quality of life and I develop a better understanding of life. I won’t ever grow tired of the serenity of the river.
Bourbeuse River (Picture by Double D Acres LLC)
I would like to thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, be kind to one another and spread the love.
Big River near DeSoto, MO as darkness gives way to the dawn.
I have always been mesmerized by the beauty of the river. Due to flooding it is constantly changing but Mother Nature seems to always protect its beauty. If only man would cherish the river as much as Mother Nature. The pollution and the trash left behind has grown, adding an ugliness that shouldn’t be there.
“The River… It’s my world, and I don’t want any other. What it hasn’t got is not worth having, and what it doesn’t know is not worth knowing. Lord! the times we’ve had together.” – Kenneth Grahame
On August 11, I decided to spend a very much needed night on the river. Temps were in the 90s and humidity was high. I loaded up and went to Mammoth Access on the Big River in Missouri. A lot of people on the river and I got a lot of stares. I have had a round with melanoma so I show up in a long sleeve shirt and jeans and really don’t look like I belong. I board my yacht and head up river for a much anticipated night of relaxation.
As I paddle I look for spots to set limb lines and a place to make camp for the night. I opted out of taking a tent and would opt to catnap on board my trusty yak. After finding places for lines and camp I went to an area to do some bass fishing however the fish didn’t seem to like the smorgasbord I provided for them. I finally started tight line fishing and waited for dusk to show up at which time I would set and bait lines in hopes of catching some catfish.
Big River near DeSoto, MO as dawn takes over the night.
“A river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving,, living part of the very earth itself.” – Laura Gilpin
I finally finished getting the lines set and baited around 8:30 p.m. I then set up camp and set up for tight line fishing while I waited until time to run my lines. I like to run my lines every 2 and a half hours. All I seemed to get was empty lines with no bait. There was a bait stealer loose in the Big River. My luck wasn’t much better with my tight line fishing but I did manage to get a good fire started.
The night got cool enough that the fire actually felt good.
Finally I managed to catch a drum, or stone perch. I put it on a stringer because I had plans for it. I also managed to catch a sucker but since it wasn’t high on my culinary preferences I returned it to the river. They are pretty bony.
One of Missouri’s suckers.
Around 4:30 a.m. my beef stew MRE had began to wear of so I prepared the fish for breakfast. I didn’t have anything to cook it in so I improvised and rigged up quite a contraption to cook it with. I used some green tree limbs and fashioned sort of a spit and cooked it 10 minutes on each side and I am here to tell you it was delicious.
Breakfast on the river.
The darkness began to give over its control to the rays of sunshine. I headed out to run my lines and take them out. As I was running the lines I heard something that sounded just like a lamb. I use to raise sheep so I know the sound all too well. I could hear it but couldn’t see it. finally it broke out of the brush and to may surprise it was a fawn still sporting its spots. I figured it got separated from its mom and hopefully it wasn’t an orphan. Then I got my answer. I hear the bleat of a doe and the fawn spun around and headed back into the brush giving what sounded like a very happy round of bleats.
“A river or stream is a cycle of energy from sun to plants to insects to fish. It is a continuum only broken by humans.” – Aldo Leopold
All the lines were empty and void of bait but one. I noticed that it was wrapped over a limb but is wasn’t moving so I figured I had caught one and it wrapped the line around the limb and got off. I managed to pull the line and limb up but to my surprise the line wasn’t empty. No sirree! As it broke the service I found a 20 pound, at least, soft shell turtle hooked by its foot. This means that its head was free. Now I am here to tell you when it comes to the length of a neck the giraffe has nothing on a very pissed off soft shell turtle. Now the pucker factor has kicked in and his neck extends way out, jaws snapping and barley misses my arm. We wrestled for a while and I was finally able to unhook him and I gave a sigh of relieve that was probably heard in St. Louis.
Phot of Big River by Double D Acres LLC.
After all the excitement and I calmed down a little I headed up river for about 2 hours and then turned around and fished my way back to the boat ramp. I managed to catch one small Largemouth bass and that was all she wrote.
It wasn’t a very productive fishing trip but the relaxation and peacefulness I enjoyed was priceless. Being alone on the river without any distractions is the perfect way I have found to cleanse the soul and recharge the spirit. I have always said when I die I want to be cremated and my ashes spread in the river. That is the only place that I can experience a true sense of peace and tranquility.
“A river is more than an amenity, it is a treasure.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I apologize for being a little long winded. If you get a chance to sit on the bank of a river, close your eyes. Listen to the running water and feel its energy. Like us it has a destination. A beginning and an end. It has its low times (summer) and high times (floods). Outside the interference of man, dams and levees, it manages to take out any obstacle in its way to its destination. We can learn a lot about life from a river. Remember to spread the love.
“Sooner or later, we will have to recognize that the Earth has rights, too, to live without pollution. What mankind must know is that human beings cannot live without Mother Earth, but the planet can live without humans.” –Evo Morales
The calm before the storm hit Monsanto Lake.
“There are some things you learn best in calm, and some in storm.” – Willa Cather
It seems lately that Mother Nature has lost her mind. Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes and other destruction has been in the news lately.
Ice and Snow in Florida- Early January brought snowflakes to the Florida panhandle for the first time since 1989 ( since 1885 if you are talking about January)
Snow in the Sahara- Algeria received 15 inches of snow.
Coldest April followed by hottest May
Four nor’easters in a row- Northeast US was hit with four winter storms in one month
Fires are destroying thousands of acres in California while parts of Hawaii battles with the destructive forces of a volcano. What does it mean? Is Mother Nature trying to tell us something? Is Mother Earth crying out for help?
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Pexels.com
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
“It also called upon traditional people in the Four Directions to strengthen the healing ceremonies and asked people to heed the warnings of Mother Earth.” – Dennis Banks
Most folks are going to say I am crazy but I am a firm believer that Mother Nature is trying to warn us that unless we quit destroying Mother Earth things are only going to get worse.
We can’t keep pumping chemicals into our rivers and streams and air. Mother Nature’s filtration system is getting plugged up. Think of it as the air filter in your furnace. It traps all the bad stuff that would hurt the furnace and when it gets full you take it out, throw it away and put in a new one. Mother Nature can’t do that.
The only way we can help is to get our heads out of our asses and get serious about a plan to heal this planet. Hell folks, according to Steven Solomon, author of “Water: The Epic Struggle For Wealth, Power and Civilization” , “Water is overtaking oil as our scarcest natural resource in the world.” We need to desperately change our way of thinking. We need to realize that we can’t keep depleting our resources without a plan to replenish them. Trees have a big job in the ecosystem. Some countries are completely destroying the jungles and not replanting. Trees absorb carbon dioxide and other poisonous gases and emit oxygen. Don’t know if it is true or not but I once heard that one large tree can supply a day’s worth of oxygen for four people. What happens if we keep cutting the trees without replanting and suddenly there aren’t enough plants to produce the amount of oxygen needed to sustain life on Mother Earth?
I want everyone to think about something for a minute. Yeah maybe I am crazy however, what if Mars once looked like Mother Earth. Oceans, rivers, mountain streams, vast forest land, occupied by some greedy, uncaring inhabitants.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. It is deeply appreciated. Remember to spread the love.
Photo by Public Domain Pictures on Pexels.com
Liberty: the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views.
On July 2, 1776, the Second Continental Congress voted to approve a resolution of independence. For the next two days congress focused on the writing of the Declaration of Independence. On July 4, 1776 it was approved and there have been celebrations ever since.
On this day I would like to share with you some of my favorite quotes that pertain to this day. It is a day that should never be taken too lightly. Just like life it can be gone in a blink of an eye. Protect your rights.
“I hope we once again have reminded people that man is not free unless government is limited. There’s a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: as government expands, liberty contracts.” – Ronald Reagan
I really feel in today’s society people have a tough time wrapping their minds around the meaning of what our former POTUS was saying.
“Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech.” – Benjamin Franklin
This my friends is why it is so important to protect the “freedom of speech”. Benjamin Franklin had enough insight to understand this.
Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com
“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” – Benjamin Franklin
A perfect example of this, in my opinion anyway, is the TSA. Our government has made it a nightmare to travel by air.
“When the people fear the government there is tyranny, when the government fears the people there is liberty.” John Basil Barnhill
Pretty much self explanatory.
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
“Those who nourish the hope that it will be possible to keep central +government free of the corrupting tendencies of power and to staff it with a freedom loving elite, overestimate the virtues of both the electorate and the elected, and underestimate the normative power of structural processes even over well-intended functionaries.” – Robert Neff
All too obvious in our political system.
Happy Fourth of July to everyone out there. I didn’t mean to put such a downer on today’s holiday. As you celebrate today remind yourself it is about much more than fireworks. We lose more of our freedoms every year. It is time to stop the bleeding. I leave you with some lyrics from Janis Joplin, Me and Bobby McGee. “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose. Nothin’ don’t mean nothin’ hon’ if it ain’t free…..”
I hope you enjoyed my post today. Thank you for taking the time to read it. Spread the love!
“The practical importance of the preservation of our forests is augmented by their relations to climate, soil and streams.” – John Muir
My blog today is about a man who every outdoorsman, or one who loves frequenting the National Parks, should know. He was a naturalist, environmental philosopher, glaciologist and activist for the preservation of wilderness. His name was John Muir.
John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland, on April 21, 1838 and died December 24, 1914. He was also known as “John of the mountains” and “Father of the National Parks”. He also founded the Sierra Club. He was well known for his writing. He published two articles about Wilderness Preservation in The Century Magazine that influenced the US Congress to establish Yosemite National Park in 1890.
“Only by going alone into silence, without baggage, can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness. All other travel is mere dust and hotels and baggage and chatter.” – John Muir
The Muir family left Scotland in 1849 headed for America. They started a farm near Portage, Wisconsin. The farm was known as Fountain Lake Farm and it has been designated a National Historic Landmark. He enrolled in University of Wisconsin – Madison at the age of 22 and in 1864 moved to Canada until 1866. Indianapolis was his new home and he went to work in a wagon wheel factory.
In September of 1867 Muir began a 1,000 mile walk that started in Kentucky and ended in Florida. You can read about his journey in his book A Thousand – Mile Walk to the Gulf.
“Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying, keeping everything whirling and flowing, allowing no rest but in rhythmical motion, chasing everything in endless song out of one beautiful form into another.” – John Muir
John was very active his whole life trying to save the wilderness and was at home in nature. Some controversy followed him concerning some of his activism, but his love for the outdoors prevailed.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Hope you enjoyed it. Remember, spread the love.
“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir
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Unlock Your Online Success and become your own BOSS!
A blog about BPD and art
Learn to code, monetize your blog/content, free tech support, Website design & development, SEO, affiliate marketing, & copywriting.
life is a lovely chaos
Find daily inspiration in decor style creativity
Photography of the light and shadow warrior
lumière, light, art, culture
I love to write about everything. Writing relaxes me.
Silvana und Ulf auf Weltreise
bunch of atoms, with a bunch of masks and tales
Assise Silencieuse
Time spent with pets are never wasted.
WORLD VIEW
Island tourist spot
Stories on fascinating things in the world!
We provide you with a cutting-edge personality test to discover your core values.
Unlock Your Affiliate Success: Expert Tips, Reviews, and Recommendations for Maximizing Profits and Building a Thriving Online Business
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