land of wonders ~ sept 2026

September is such a transitional month. For me, it is also emotional. It became even more apparent as I looked back through my phone camera roll, at what captured my attention.

dramatic skies
9.4.26

(good) morning glories
9.8.26

mystical marvel
9.14.26

found in the fog



decide to see a weed or a flower
9.17.26

changes are coming

wondering what is around the bend
9.19.26

pausing to notice what is right in front of you

symbols speak volumes

natures pearls of wisdom
9.21.26

waterfall of brightness



9.25.26



fleeting moments of surprise



signs all point somewhere



remembering to dance



like nobody is watching (?)



appreciating tiny things
9.28.26

living in the moment
9.29.26

animal fall update

We have SO much going on with our animals that at times I think I have the human version of animal anxiety. If there even is such a thing. Our animals are constantly on my mind. Unless something requires focus, like working on Stained Glass. Worrying doesn't solve any thing. All it does is make me feel tired and sad.

This is your cue to run, or in this case scroll LOL.

There is nothing completely new going on with our animals. Cierra's allergies are still terrible, Koda is still lame etc. However, we have added complications. Nothing seems to really get resolved. We just keep trying "stuff". More decisions, and of course more money.

Maybe if I "talk" about it, my mind and heart won't be as restless?! 

................

Koda is going the wrong direction. He stopped wanting to go for walks after his last trim. Now his back end (hips?) are screwed up. Could be from laying down, an unfavorable move, over compensating or even standing on the hurt leg while trimming.

His September Acupuncture appointment lasted until he got trimmed.  A short two weeks. I feel terrible for him. He has spent too much of his life injured. After what felt like a long wait, Koda was to be treated for either a Chiro./Accu. yesterday. I intentionally only shared what we observed. Then patiently waited for the vet to give us her own suggestions. She is so wishy-washy! 

The vet thought since he usually responds well, it was best to stick with Acupuncture. She did however place needles in different locations. The four across his hips twitched like crazy. Koda really enjoys his treatments and continues to clearly choose Peppermint. He seemed brighter by evening.

Koda is scheduled to get updated x-rays along with Fall shots on October 8th. I am hopeful Dr. W will bring a machine! I requested x-rays in the Spring with a different vet. We ended up with a worthless ultrasound, and an unhelpful care plan. 

Koda bear during a warm bath

................

Hope kicked high, hard and fast at her last trim. Again. However, this time she was not in heat. We are officially concerned about human safety and her well-being.

Brad asked me to come to his lesson at our trainers (Padame update to come) to discuss Hope with our 'er his trainer.

Considering Hope's past, we are unsure if these changes are behavioral or neurological/medical. She has been such a sweet easy horse, and still is for the most part. I would much prefer these changes be behavioral. No one wants an unsafe horse, but that is something that could be worked on/out. Her changes could be a result of strong hormonal heat, added to a three year olds fresh attitude. 

We are looking into sending Hope out for training. To build on the work Brad has done with her. It is not what we wanted, but is needed. For her sake and ours. However, first we need to rule out there is nothing medical going on. I am curious what the vet will suggest. Likely an MRI...ugh.

finding peace in Fall

................

Tank relapsed post CHOP chemotherapy. Earlier than the average dog treated with Lymphoma. It doesn't mean it didn't work. It means whatever cancer in his cells remained, grew back faster than expected. 

I remind myself without treatment, Tank would have most likely been gone last March.

Treatment side effects have been almost non-existent. A few days of loose stools throughout the many months. The clinic staff and his Oncologist are amazing! They go above and beyond to make his clinic days less stressful. 

swimming at Devils Lake
9.18.26

He is currently doing a different regression chemo protocol. His body responded well and went right back into remission. We are painfully aware it won't last long. However, long enough to enjoy each and every Fall day with him. Making more memories with our big expressive guy is priceless.

Tank is a very happy dog and getting extra spoiled! Thankfully, animals live in the moment. I could write a book. He is loving his special meals, walks, barn duty, family dogs, endless sticks, stealing socks, vehicle rides and sleeping in our his bed. Between his two people.

Our happy boy

My hope is that our snow dog enjoys life long enough to do his pop up snow thing. It is doubtful, but it could happen. We are taking it one day at a time. 

................

With all of the above (and more) Quality of Life is a frequent discussion at my household. I am not looking for sympathy. Everyone has issues. With heavy things to sort and decisions to make. Please know it is far from doom and gloom here! I just haven't found that damn off switch in my head.

If you made it this far, thank you for reading. Enjoy your weekend!

what is going on...

...and where is all this going to end up? 

I wonder. Most every day. Que a venting post. Not meant to be political, just concerning. Feel free to scroll past. Not that anyone will even see this post!!!

Let's start with Blogger. If you use it, then I can only assume you are experiencing similar dysfunctional issues. One of several issues is my read feed stopped working. It has been a minute since it pulled up blogs/posts that I follow. These days, I either have to remember the blog name to search or click on a commenter name. I've unintentionally lost track of multiple blogs.

More recently, I received an email notification warning me multiple videos (of mine) are being deleted. That brings up SO many questions! I totally get digital restructuring. I used to work in the digital world. Why those specific video's? Oh, but they can be added back. Okay. Whatever. Not that important.

Proof that a blog does not securely keep information from vanishing.

In the email I received Blogger folks (AI?) recommended downloading the entire blog. I have downloaded my blog several times. Earlier versions are saved on a hard drive. However, a buncha of outdated code doesn't do much for preserving memories. I just might have to bump an edited hard copy version up on my endless to do list.

............

Onto phone issues. Our Cell Phone provider was bought out. More cell towers and more reach/service! Wouldn't that be great, if only it was true. We went from spotty service, to days of flat out nothing going out/coming in. It is random and not just for those of us living in the country. Our city friends are experiencing the same problems. What if we have an emergency? Send smoke signals?! Perhaps time for a new provider.

............

Hot off the press, AI is growing so rapidly that humans that developed it no longer understand what it is doing/capable of doing. If you read the news at all, then you already know humans are being outsmarted. If nothing is done to control/guide the crazy AI development, we may likely cease to exist by the end of the decade. Absolutely frightening!! Sounds like a horror film (starring AI created actors) that could turn into a documentary. IF there are even any real humans left to watch it.

What kind of world will be left for our grandchildren??

Hopefully people way smarter than I am will figure out how to save our precious irreplaceable earth, and those of us living on and loving it.

As for me, I will keep dreaming of sunshine and rainbows.

almost missed this outside our front door

9.21.26

fire and wood ~ 1 of 2

After 6 months of Koda's recommended stalling (plus bute and no hand-walking) we decided to try a different vet clinic. One that offers treatments our long-time clinic does not offer. Especially when we were given the same recommendation all over again. 

I mentioned in my last horse related post that our vet is retiring. It is a big deal in our horse circle of friends. We tried whatever vet was available when Hope had her mysterious issues last Fall. We thought the on-call vet did a good job with Hope. Although everything was run past our long time vet. However, we are less impressed with how the vet handled our Spring wellness visit. Especially Koda's lameness recheck. The follow-up took weeks and made it evident this will not be our replacement vet. 

We were in agreement that the original stall recommendation was appropriate for Koda's injury. For his sanity, we hand walked/grazed him a little. He has improved and his care should reflect it. With no end in sight, we, especially Koda, needed some hope. Something in addition to stall rest. Koda has handled his looong incarceration surprisingly well. However, Spring fostered a new level of unhappiness for him. In human emotions, Koda seemed depressed, frustrated and angry. Fecal Water showed up. He was more edgy. His ocassional bursts of sassy FU increased. He was calling out more. 

Endless months of 24/7 in a 12' x 12' stall is not good quality of life for a horse. 

When Western Medicine is lacking, it is time to try Eastern. I do not think we are being unrealistic with Koda's diagnosis. We have to advocate for our animals. 

Koda has had two Acupuncture treatments to date. Brad and I are both very happy to have a plan that ease's Koda's stall sentence. Even if the plan doesn't work. At least we are trying s.o.m.e.t.h.i.n.g. We know acupuncture won't necessarily heal his injuries, but it should at least help with pain.

I find Koda's acupuncture appointments fascinating!!! We like the vet's approach and are learning a lot. My needle shy husband cringes, but does see the positive effects first hand. There are only a couple certified acupuncture/chiro vets in our area. We feel fortunate to have a good one that services our area. 

After initial discussion, Koda is offered Lavender or Peppermint as choices. He went back and forth but seemed to favor Lavender. The vet then applied it along key meridians, where Qi (Chi) energy flows. Before inserting needles.

After essential oil is applied, thin pink tipped needles of various lengths are inserted into key locations. The needles stay in around 15 minutes. Some worked their way out, most are removed. Koda handled everything well and didn't even flinch. 

Koda being treated for lameness & digestive health.

The vet said Koda is a bit of a mystery to figure out. Yes, he is. Always. When I got the vets follow-up report, it stated Koda had a Fire and Wood constitution. There are tons of layers to Chinese Medicine. I do not pretend to know much of anything about it, but I do find it very interesting!! 

Of course I had to look it up. In part, Google said this about Fire/Wood constitutions:

Fire Constitution (The Charmer)

Energy & Traits: Fire types are charismatic, expressive, and emotionally open. They thrive on connection, warmth, and joy. When balanced, they are enthusiastic and loving; when imbalanced, they may struggle with emotional volatility, anxiety, or insomnia.

Wood Constitution (The Pioneer)

Energy & Traits: Known as the visionary or pioneer, Wood types are goal-oriented, decisive, and natural leaders. They value growth and forward movement. When balanced, they are confident and inspiring; when out of balance, they can become easily frustrated, irritable, or stubborn.

I think Koda is much more like the Fire vs Wood based on description above.

Vet recommendations are: taking daily notes of what movement seems to help/hurt. Hand walking with a goal of increasing (on his own) pace. More grooming to help move Qi. A follow-up around 3 weeks.

May 20 (9 secs)

We instantly noticed a softening in Koda's demeanor and think his mobility has improved some. His pace has increased for sure. He is reaching out more, taking less choppy steps. Yes, Koda is still lame. His digestive system (gas/manure) improved a little. Maybe. 

May 27 (19 secs)

Koda just seems happier overall.

May 29

I have dabbled in other Eastern practices for decades. Over the years, I have been on the brink of having acupuncture done on myself. I never ended up doing it. My injuries were resolved with PT. I am almost there again, as I continue seeking help for arthritis. It has been fun seeing Brad learn and be open to more new things. 

Have you experienced acupuncture yourself, or with your animals?

** Coming soon is part 2 of this topic. Covering a second appointment, recommended herbs, another horse getting treated etc.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! If you are not a mom ~ you have one!!

4.28.26

Many of our beloved mothers are no longer here on earth, but never far from our hearts. I miss mine every.single.day. When my mind weighs heavy, I sit on my mom's inscribed memorial bench and talk to her in Spanish. Which is getting pretty spotty. No tengo nadie con quién hablar en español.

4.30.26

Winter birch lit trees flank my mom's bench seasonally. They go into storage and get swapped out for teal clay flower pots. The pots are out now, but I haven't planted them yet. I have the plants, but am waiting for temps to stop dipping into the 30'sF. Soon. Very soon.

smells so sweet

My grandkids were out last weekend. The youngest one carries on our family name, passed down for five generations.

Aurora

My mom get's a lot of visitors, of the winged kind. 

Robin visiting on Mother's Day
5.10.26

Hope everyone has a wonderful and special memorable day!

another year another horse fair ~ 2 of 2

There is one thing that Midwest Horse Fair does every single year, and that is make me/us think deeply about our lives with horses. Many times, it is the clinicians that foster rooted thinking.

heading in on the cold day (Sunday)

Every year fair clinics are offered in many disciplines. Mostly the beginning stages of training or riding. Some years we watch just for fun, or to fill in-between time with whatever catches our attention. With an older herd, most clinics are not applicable to our horses.

Now we have Hope. I looked for something close to where she is at in her training and found it with Ryan Rose. A local WI trainer. I've never paid much attention to him. Throughout the three fair days, he presented a colt starting series and also some reining clinics. We could not attend on Saturday and watched the beginning and the end of his colt training series. It would have been nice to follow the whole series, but they always spread them out.

~~~

The horse Ryan did the colt starting demo with name was Pickles. Not his horse. He talked about the mare being left-brained, and not liking being told what to do. He pointed out many of Pickles signals. Ryan is really good at reading horses!

In uncomfortable situations, I learned when horses rub their faces on their legs they are releasing a stress hormone. There is an area on the side of their nose that gives them an endorphin release.

Laying the Foundation
4.17.26 (11 secs)

4.17.26 (22 secs)

He talked about letting horses commit to their mistakes and rewarding the slightest try. He briefly did a "Find your Herd" game with Pickles. I was busy watching, but found it on YouTube. It is a long one.

not my video (8 mins)

I also found it interesting he works side pass along the outside of the round pen, where horses feel less boxed in.  


~~~

Sunday's Clinic was Accepting a Rider. This was new to us:

Turn Face and Follow
4.19.26 (6 secs)

Hope is three and knows much of what was shared, both days. She is pretty much at "accepting the rider" stage. I get asked a lot, no I will not be getting on her back first ~ or anytime soon. Watching these clinics reinforced Hope's training to date, and gave Brad a couple new ideas. We plan to watch more of what Ryan has to share together. Maybe even try the paid Patreon thing.

Both of us really enjoyed watching Ryan Rose's clinics! He has a mindful approach, puts the horse first and is easy to understand. No showboating and a funny guy! The humor he sprinkles in makes watching and learning entertaining. 

~~~

Right after watching the above clinic, we hustled over to another building to watch Ryan compete in a Working Equitation Cattle Sorting Trial competition. The presenter was Adrienne Dymesich, also from WI. She is new to me/us. We liked her and will be watching for more from her. Adrienne train's, breeds and has an active family ranch with clinics.

Ryan is wearing the black hat

We missed seeing the winning group sort, a Chilean Horse Team. The Rose group took second. 

 4.19.26

This closed out MWHF 2026 for us. We headed home tired, with sore feet and happy hearts.

finished book ~ unfinished thoughts

After taking an extended break from reading books, I finally finished reading Sacred Spaces (SS). It was an easy read, full of good self-help type of information. Cover-to-cover. Yes it is geared towards interacting with horses, but applicable to all of types of thoughtful interactions.

The last chapter "Connecting all the Pieces" is helpful to tie concepts presented throughout the book, and where to find the building blocks. Some are still hard (for me) to grasp. I have tried many times to attempt the pre-visualization thing. Our horses just look at me confused, like "what are you doing?" or more like "why are you doing that?". Apparently some type of thought is being shared. Perhaps my head is just too busy. Either way, it is an interesting way to interact.

General concepts covered in SS mirror much of what is being shared through my rekindled yoga practice. Key word practice.

What can I say, The Art of Pause is everything.

The Epilogue touched home. As I continually process love, loss and life in general. The list of suggestions are really (really) good ones to revisit over-and-over, and strive to live by. I am thankful to have this book to support my horse interactions and unfinished thoughts.

~~~

"Each being on this earth, and earth itself, is made up of energy...energy can neither be created or destroyed. It can only change form."

3.31.26

horse hugs

What is it about horse hugs that makes them so special? 

An animal as stoic and large as a horse, choosing to softly wrap their head around you. And stay.

Even when hay is fed mid-hug a couple feet away

Even when you unwrap your arms and take a step back. Thinking they must prefer to eat.

Even then, they choose not to move. So, you re-hug and they gently re-wrap their head. Around you. With the right amount of contact around your neck, and upper back.

Over and over.

I was living in the moment and not counting, but my guess would be we held hugs 4 or 5 times.

Not a step was taken. Until I let go one last time. Departing with a kiss, and "go eat your hay sweetie".

the exact moment I knew she was joining our family
(2010)

choosing to be with our son, at what used to be the family farm
(2010)

She chose to take good care of me when I was broken back in 2017.

Brad with his sweet girl Cierra
(2023)

She is still choosing to take good care of me, with apparently what I needed.

Heartfelt hugs.

reflecting on more chapters

I have been pondering how to implement concepts presented in Sacred Spaces (SS). When and with whom. Before I even began reading the book, I started tuning in. I knew the general concept from reading Linda's blog. 

Pausing before haltering. Cracking open stalls, and waiting to see if anyone wanted to interact with me. Observing. Sending thoughts. Waiting. Sometimes using words. Nothing felt different to me, but it felt good. 

Some responses I got from our horses were humorous. Specifically Nemo's. He is our most sensitive horse. I've had non-horse people tell me when Nemo looks at you it is like talking to a person. Yep, that is 100% Nemo. 

I smiled when he looked at me with his expressive eyes and "said" What are you doing? Not now. Can't you see I am eating. Not good timing on my part, but chore time is when I interact the most with our horses.

Koda on the other hand left his hay to interact with me. More than once. Jaw drop. My poor boy is starved for anything in addition to his 3X a day stall service/jail release. Koda plays his Get Out of Jail Card whenever he can. Most days he has become lovey-dovey with everyone. Other days he oozes like a time bomb looking for something to set him off. For the most part, Koda is doing well while healing. Better than we thought he would. 3 long months into a year sentence, we are hopeful for his recovery.

Hope and Cierra are almost always game for human interaction. Most days, Harmony could care less. When she does choose to interact, it is sweet.

What is very different with SS are the focus steps. Broken down questions/exercises to help achieve focused imagery. Key word focused. Hard for a busy mind.

After reading a few more chapters, I tried simple imagery with Ms. Hope. From inside the house. In my mind it went something like: walking down to the gate, haltering (without shenanigans) and walking back into the barn. Tucking Hope into her stall and ending with some love pats. Well, it didn't happen as planned. Brad ended up with Hope. Not his fault. I could have declared I was getting Hope. This wasn't really a fair experiment anyways. Hope typically does all the things I imagined well with me. A better test would be imaging walking into her stall to scoop a freshly gifted pile, without ear pinning dislike. However, I am not there yet and neither is Hope.

I will continue loosely trying concepts learned from Chapter 4 "Imagine that..." and Chapter 5 "Clear the Air (waves) Intentions and Pre-Cues" in some way or another. I can't go all in right now, my mind and heart are elsewhere. Focus and attention have unexpectedly shifted.

The great thing about SS is how the information and exercises are organized. The author makes it very easy to revisit concepts and find sectioned advice for help/practice.

We are on the brink of warming up to high temp's around freezing. This past weekend, 22F and sunny felt like a Spring day. If only Mother Nature would turn down the fan.

Our horses just went back on full day turn out. Perhaps now I can work up to getting back in the saddle. Pent up horses is not a good place to start. That would give me additional chances to work with SS mindfulness. Meanwhile, I will read the second half of the book.

I will close with saying both SS Chapter 4 & 5 were very interesting. I mean, who doesn't want to play Make Believe ~ where there are no rules, just imagination.

Tank balancing Cierra on his nose
1.31.26

chapter three take-away

For some odd reason I am already stuck on Sacred Spaces. Perhaps better said IN Sacred Spaces. Chapter 3 to be specific. It is titled "The Thought-Full and Emotional Human". Ummm, yep that is me.

I know in part the reason I am stuck is because I am an over-thinker. Wondering if I missed something. For now, I am refraining from re-reading chapter three.

What the author calls Productive Contemplation (PC) is what I call Visualization mixed with Meditation. 

My whole head is full of visualization. I think in pictures. Not by choice, it is how I am wired. I am very visual and frequently work on:

• Keeping my minds thoughts/pictures positive

• Focusing on one thing at a time, or at least quieting the others

Out of respect for the author, I don't want to give away too much of the book. I am sure she would prefer you read it :) However, there are some horse loading/unloading PC examples given that are ruminating in my head. Especially because the stories/examples in the book are real. 

Condensed version: A women has a horse dropped off to haul and was told it doesn't load. Over night, she imagines the unknown horse loading/unloading. In the morning, it does without issue. 

Another women has always needed help loading/unloading her horse. Driving home from the clinic, she imagines her horse loading/unloading. She unloads it by herself without issue. 

Hmmm. 

Brad and I were discussing how this is possible, when the handlers are not even in the same space as the horse. Telepathic sounds a bit woo-woo to me. It does make sense that PC changes a persons perception, and therefore shifts approach. The horse is the receptor. My take-away is the change resides in the person, and therefore the horse is approached/asked differently.

The power of positive thinking is real.

our winter herd were not part of book discussion

(Hope, Harmony, Cierra and Nemo)
1.17.2026

There are other related factors presented in Chapter 3, but I will close with the books clear message: 

Behavior <> Emotions <> Thoughts <> Emotions <> Behavior.

creating mindful space

This Winter. This year. This life. Has got me thinking. More than usual, which is already a lot.

I finally finished reading a book a friend chose for me. It was a book from her old reading group that she thought I would like. It was witchy. Maybe she was trying to tell me something LOL! She wasn't, the recommendation was spurred for a different reason.

The Witch's Daughter flops around different centuries (1600-2007) with a lot of death and fantasy weirdness. Reading it started out slooow, with pages full of tiny type. About a third of the way through the book, I was all in. I just found out this book is part of a series. I may or may not read more of them. I am familiar with the main witches ('er characters) and reading it involves imagination.

Meanwhile, among a few other TBR books there was one that jumped the line. Waiting to be cracked open. Suspenseful. I try not to start one book before I finish another. You can guess which book jumped the line, Sacred Spaces. Mentioned previously here and stemming from the Beautiful Mustang blog. 

I promptly read the Preface, Intro and Chapter One with interest. It closes with packing these three things for the book journey:

"A Desire to Learn.

An Open Mind.

A Loving Heart."

I already have those packed! Although some might beg to differ. My intention is to read this book slowly. To pause. Not for lack of interest, but to make space. Something that will be difficult for me. My files are always full and over-flowing. Letting go is hard. At least for me. 

I started reading Chapter Two in the evening, aaand said "this is way to technical right now". Perhaps it was the distracting drone of the wha-wha-wha TV noise. Suffice it to say, my night time reading is better kept light.

The next morning, I re-read the pages between sips of coffee. Finished Chapter two...and whoa!! Where is the mind blown emoji when I need it?! Oh, here it is 🤯 found on my laptop scrolly. Needless to say, I will be re-reading "Getting on the Same Wavelength(s)" more than once! Being on the same wavelength is not only necessary, it is interesting.

I give the author a lot of credit for acknowledging that not everyone is into science/techy/brain stuff. She suggests those readers skim, and skip ahead. I already noticed, questions are posed for the reader to decide. Meanwhile, theories and information shared is backed up by studies/science. 

Which leads me to a segua into my past and why this brainy-mind stuff is so exciting for me. One of my favorite college memories was sitting in a Psychology lecture about the brain. Why people do what they do. I recall thinking "that is me" and "oh no, that is also me"...and that is why so and so does XYZ. It was then that I fell in love with Psychology.

I took two elective Psychology courses in college, and did very well under an amazing tough love instructor. I looked into switching my major (Applied Arts) so I could marry the things I loved. I wanted to help others through Art Therapy. Specifically children. However, it required a separate Art Therapy Masters. A field that was new-ish back in the day and not offered in the big-little city. As a single mother, it would have been difficult at best to travel to classes and achieve all the extra schooling. What really swayed me, was finding out that an Art Therapist might spend one hour a day actually working with kids/art. The rest is spent managing/paperwork. No thanks. I didn't need more managing roles in my life, or paperwork.

Back to the present. Where shifting mindset will be close to impossible for me. It requires me to:

"Hone my Senses.

Pay Attention to Messages from my Senses.

Gain Control over Thoughts and Emotions (aka Energy Signature)".

Easier typed than done. Reframing my awareness will no doubt be trial and a lot of error. A worthwhile time (and mind) investment. I have already started my accompanying reflection journal, and have the remaining chapters in Sacred Spaces to guide me. One by one. 

Nemo & Cierra and Jameson
1.14.26

  

land of wonders ~ september 1/2

September brings all the feels. Joy for glimmers of Fall and memories relived. The good, the sad and yes even the ugly. Of course, focus is honed in on good memories! It doesn't stop the other feelings from wafting in, then quickly releasing kicking out.

With that in mind, it was interesting to come across a heart shape. It mirrored my heightened processing on a key annual date/s. I had not come across a heart in nature for a long time. 

There will always be a hole in my heart.
9.5.25

Early September, unique woodland wonders slow down. It is no longer Summer but it is also not Fall. When the woods offer the same ol' views step after step, my focus turns to home garden delights.

first sign of Fall Crocus
9.6.25

It has been a banner year for the few Dahlia tubers I overwinter. They are loving our weather this year and gone blooming crazy! The flowers are huge and plentiful this year.

one plant tuber (4-6 yrs old?) 

close-up

I recently mentioned growing lavender. Below is a small harvest that made a cute little upside down drying bouquet. It doesn't take much. I have lavender bouquets hanging inside multiple spots. Mostly in front of mirrors. Have I ever told you I adore mirrors? Well, I do. I know, it sounds narcissistic. Totally not why. In fact, I dislike seeing my old self in mirrors. It is all about light reflections, different perspectives and the energy mirrors offer!

Anywho, I am saving my dried lavender bouquets for a future wreath and/or sachet. I cannot believe how long lavender holds scent!

9.6.25

Of course land walks continue, regardless of conditions. You never know when some oddity will show itself. I almost accidentally squashed the guy below, while heading down to the woods. He looks like something right out of a tropical jungle! 

9.9.25

Google ID'ed the odd looking fellow as a Douglas-fir Tussock moth ~or~ White-marked Tussock moth. Whatever it is, it was on a mission to get to the tree line.

After watching it morph for many weeks over the Summer, I was so delighted to see bright orange coral make a brief reappearance. However, it grew much smaller and was gone overnight.

9.13.25

Our potted barn blooms are so lush this year! Underneath a giant mound of Impatiens are two pots and four planted boots. Much larger than the photo depicts. They almost touch the bottom of the barn window. Amazing what a few four packs of tiny plants can turn into.

Our barn columns are flanked with hanging baskets. I fill them with traditional purple Wave petunias started indoors from seed, and one added contrast scented plant. The big bushy plant underneath is one potted Salvia, for my Hummer friends. They get huge!

When one walks in pines the view is commonly green branches and brown trunks. It doesn't matter what month the calendar says it is, there is always color!

We do have some hardwoods growing among our pines. Most struggle for light. Imagine my surprise to see bright red so early. One bendy branch had turned completely red. Only one branch. The rest of the tree's leaves are still green.

Red Maple
9.13.25

I couldn't quite catch the brilliance with my phone that I was seeing. I decided to let the mosquitos attack what wasn't covered and ducked behind the branch. Sorry hands. 

It was behind the tree branch that I saw brighter light...

love shines bright
9.13.25