Color Carnival #35

is it summer yet?

the past 3 days I have literally vegged. doing so little. I'm longing for the summer. I long for the hiking which takes me on solitare adventures of a better kind. I've tried hiking this winter, but the weather is sporadic being beautiful one day, the ugly for the next several days. if the wind didn't blow, i could still hike. but when the wind blows it's that much more bitter cold chilling you to the bones never to warm up despite the movement. I've had enough of being indoors sittin' on my ass. February is just around the corner and usually it starts to warm. but winter has knot been usual, so I'm not expecting spring to be either. it's a gloomy day, gray and cloudy which reflects my mood as well. O sunshine please come again!'

sunset snow

outside my window

this was outside my window today...beautiful snow capped mountain. just enough snow to sprinkle it. it's been like this for a couple days. clouds covered it yesterday and i'll post one at sunset tomorrow.....the days are better. Life goes on. sittin' quietly in front of the groove tube muted watchin' the Australian Tennis Open Tournament tryin' knot to think. Life is complicated I finally realized but I'd love for it to be so simple. maybe it is and I've overlooked it....but the Good news for today is my son and family has arrived back stateside from Hawai'i-hooray! they arrived this morn while I was still sleepin. now in Kentucky and easier accessible. I'm happy to have them 'home'. knot sure when i'll get to see them, but hopefully by this summer. haven't seen my son in over 2 yrs, so we're way overdue. but he's closer now and a short plane ride down the road. as soon as I can after finishing class, I'm headed that way. it's only January and I'm all ready for it to be August so I can get there as well as being done with class plus exams. it'll go by fast, but right now it feels like a turtle's pace. anyways, Life is Good. it can only get better from this point froward. It's all good...

ode to a friend

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day a t a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that you will make all things right if I
surrender to your will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with you forever in the next
-attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr

it has been a rough few days. it was the anniversary of Jesse's passing. then it was the closure of a friendship gone wrong. knot only did I lose a friend, but I lost my little hiking buddy as well. the trial and tribulations of relationships wears on me. time is healing my wounds. I know I will get thru it all. Life is about change but sometimes the change is painful and knot desired. I can only hope for better tomorrows in relationships. Lessons are learned. growth is expanded. it's all part of the journey....and today is another beginning.

Color Carnival #34

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Real McCoy's

(Self-baptism for the morning; to be recited while sprinkling water onthe head.)

O Waters, give us health, bestow on us
Vigor and strength, so shall I see enjoyment.
Rain down your dewy treasures o'er our path.
Like loving mothers, pour on us your blessing,
Make us partakers of your sacred essence.
We come to you for cleansing from all guilt,
Cause us to be productive, make us prosper.
-Rig-Veda X.9

The Real McCoy's now live here. or at least it's a gift shop. seems they have softened with flowers. or at least I thought the McCoy's were hard tough people. I really don't remember...
....anyways, thought I'd start adding my daily prayer I read in here should anyone else need a prayer for the day. they will be a mixture of different religions for the book I'm getting them from, Prayers for Healing 365 Blessings, Poems, & Meditations from Around the World, edited by Maggie Oman covers just about everyone. this will help me to be consistent about reading them daily. and hey, I'll be journaling on a daily basis as well......anyways, all is well for now. time to go find more photos to shoot in between class. apparently we have hit a thick patch in our class with tons of reading. at the moment I'm in the midst of 140 pages of reading plus a paper to write. thankfully the paper is knot very long. but hey, I'm getting through this class. I am completing it despite wanting to quit numerous of time along the way. in the journey I'm learning what I'm made of. It's all Good.

sorry we're open

just when I thought I've seen it all so to speak. here I find this sign which seems confusing to me. but hey, I'm sure there are even more weirder signs out there....
....anyways, I'm back 2 work this week. it's been a slow start thankfully with little activity at the church. nice & quiet. just the way I like it. once home I came in and looked at my budget again for the year. i had still missed a bill that came in today. so I recalculated everything. in order to accomplish my financial goals this year, it appears I will need to decide either on the sunroof for my jeep or a new camera lens. I want both so very badly. actually as I'm typing this I realized I could toss one of the major trips I have plan and get both. decisions..decisions..decisions. one of the 3 will have to go. I have a few months b4 the final decision. once the warm weather gets here, most likely I'll toss the major trip. but who knows, maybe Bill Gates will send me the money via email as stated in the most recent one I forwarded. that will cover the sunroof and allow the major trip. I'm dying to get that new camera lens and it cost quite a few pretty pennies. tons actually. I also have a couple minor road trips to take. most likely after finishing class, I'll be so anxious to hit the road with a new sunroof & lens for lots of photography. I'm dying for all of that right now, but I must persevere with class. I know patience is a virtue, but boy do I have an itch. so keep your fingers crossed for that Bill Gates check for me.....lol

Mellow Yellow

I know somewhere out there, there is a Mellow Yellow Meme. I haven't ever done it until this shot. anyways this wood be the shot for it. I hope that once my class is over, I'll be out shootin' more photos for more memes. only about 5 months left of class, then the written and oral exams. once the written is done, then I'll grab my camera and go play with it so much more often. I'll also have my new lenses by then. I can hardly wait, but the journey I'm on with class is well worth it. patience is m virtue right now getting me through it because O so how much I want to play with my camera. soon. real soon. time will fly by fast & b4 I know it, I'll be that Spiritual Counselor. It's all Good. it is a journey, not a destination....

Color Carnival...

another cold day today. granted and thankfully it isn't as cold as elsewhere in the U.S. but it's cold for us. i had wanted to take a hike today but it was freezing or below today. too cold for hiking for me anyways. next week cuz manana i'm at church all day again. went back to work tonight, a couple days early, but it was all good. back 2 class tomorrow then a little work afterwards. then sum football and maybe to BW3s for sum wings with that and company of friends.
...so i'm finally about 2 start workin' out again. i'm actually going to call an old postal worker of mine because he's a personal trainer. will see what he charges and what is workout program is all about. i'm determined finally to lose sum more weight and get back in conditioning & shape. was thinking that if i had someone else to workout with, then i'd get my ass 2 do it. so let's hope this works out. i'm ready for sum real changes in my life this New Year. i have set my goals, knot resolutions. feels like less pressure in 'goals' versus a definite 'resolution' giving myself sum flexibility and time to get in the rhythms of change. perserverence and determination. that's my story and i'm stickin to it....
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boot scoot boogie

well tonight was a change..I went out for sum dance lessons. I haven't danced in ages, & I mean ages. sum friends invited me out. the lessons are free on Thursday nights. Country & Western. learning to line dance and do the two step. I bailed on the line dancing. felt like 2 left feet. as I said, I haven't danced in decades i think...anyways, someone convinced me to try the two step. so two step I learned. it was a fun night out. now to do these lessons more often, but I work Thursday nights. will see. it'll be good to get out dancing more often, but need to get that glucosamine for my hips. they were a little sore tonight while dancing. exercise will be good for them too..anyways, the other excitement in arriving at the bar, cops were all over the place. someone had just got stabbed...o boy, what was I getting into....but all went well regardless. it was an interesting night in many ways tonight. another adventure in learning about people too....

new mexico snow

After a while you learn the subtle difference
Between holding a hand
And chaining a soul.
And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning
And company doesnt' mean security.
And you begin to learn
That kisses aren't compromises
And presents aren't promises.
And you begin to accept your defeats
With your head up and your eyes ahead
With the grace of a woman or a man
Not the grief of a child.
And you learn to build all your loads on today
Because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans
And futures have a way of falling down in midflight.
After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if
you ask too much.
So you plant your own garden
And decorate your own soul
Instead of waiting for someone to buy you flowers.
And you learn that you really can endure
That you really are strong.
And you really do have worth.
And you learn. And you learn.
With every failure you learn.
-Anonymous


as you can tell, we don't have much snow here. not near where I'm livin' anyways. i don't pay attention to the weather report for other areas, but as far as I could see this day, even to Santa Fe, there just wasn't much snow to be found. it's nice for the winter but it makes for very dry summers and Fire danger at extreme Highs. hopefully we'll get more moisture somehow b4 the summer arrives. maybe sum rain in the spring time. although the desert doesn't need much rain, we still need it to keep the place from burning up.....

page out of a catalog

so here's the page out of a catalog...Sears Roebuck & Co....so rustic and put me back in time when Sears was the deal. O how technology has changed us.....
.....anyways, 3x a charm's knot....went to 3 different places to get a house key made and all 4 keys i had made did knot work...dammit! the first place, Home Depot, i went back to get the key remade, the machine was broken. then off to Wally World and it didn't work. so then off to Lowe's and had 2 keys made thinking that at least one wood work...no such luck...a busy day to come up empty handed...maybe i should have gone to Sears Roebuck... so i'll be back tomorrow to try again. for now i kneed to sit and start homework again for class and i'm just knot into it after having 2 weeks off. but class begins again this Saturday-ugh! at this moment i don't even feel like completing the class but sum how i'll find a way to perservere. i'll start tonight somewhat at least while watching the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Boise State University is playing and i must root for my former university. and only recently i even contemplated returning there to finish my degree. i've got an itchy foot at the moment and ready to move somewhere, either back to Boise, Idaho or Spokane, Washington. but who knows if it'll happen, it'll be a couple years b4 i do..i'll keep dreamin'...until the days to come....have a good one!

Mega Graffiti

so this is MEGA graffiti on the side of a water can i think. nothing else for artists to do i suppose. i'm knot going to assume teenagers did this since this sits right down the road from MADrid where all the artists live. so go figure who did all this. looks like an art piece to me....

kickin' ass ranch

of the many times i've been to MADrid, i've missed this until yesterday....yep the ranch sign says...KICKIN ASS RANCH....and this little house is all there is to it as far as i could see....cracked me up....

shadow shot sunday #85

I haven't played Shadow Shot Sunday in awhile. just haven't had the shots. but got this one yesterday....for further Shadow Shots, click on my sidebar with the camers>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...anyways, as you can see, I put the old template back on here. I just like how the black background really enhances the photos better, or at least I think so. just brings them out sharper. so I'll keep this template. I really liked it anyways.....well the day is calling for sum studying and r&r. back to the regular routine of things now that the holidays are over. I finally took down my tree and other decor yesterday. seems weird after having it up for over a month. o well, i'll find more decor to add to my hovel in the near future. first thing up is a quiver i desire to go with my bow & arrows....o yes, b4 i forget....last night i learned/discovered information about a Wolf Sanctuary here in New Mexico. I can even pay to get in the den with them to take photographs. I will wait until April when I get my new camera lens, then go. I'm all excited about learning about it. I LOVE WOLVES and to see them in person AND to be able to take their photos...way KEWL!!! I may go b4 April, but would prefer having my new lens. will see if I can wait that long. really look forward to that trip.....well that's the latest 4 now. have a blessed day!

Color Carnival #32

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sky's the limit

Whoa! so I added a new photo program to my pc (Thanks Martha). well all the photos are aligned horizontal, even the above photo. so I was really worried whether it wood straighten out once I posted here....way kewl...it did.....this is one of many photos I took on another road trip to Madrid. funny how I've missed sum things along the way including the above..nice day today shootin' around

AVATAR!!!!

just saw this tonight..AVATAR.....if you haven't seen it yet, GO SEE IT!!! I haven't seen a good movie like this in ages...and I mean ages.....not only are special effects good, it has a magnificent storyline. I've been reluctant to see movies because I've been so disappointed in them this last year. well this is by far the BEST movie of 2009. It deserves the Oscar. take your kids, they'll enjoy it too. can't say enough about this movie. you've just gotta see it!

lookin' back....

takin' a moment to look back at the time with my grandbaby....hopefully she'll be here again within a month...these are a few of my fav photos of her....hurry home Edie!