Solstice Sunrise Walk My World

Yesterday morning was the winter solstice. I rose early, let the dogs out, layered up, grabbed my binoculars and camera and set off to watch the sunrise. The dogs stayed near the house as I hiked up to the south east pasture where deer spend their nights now and again. With a slight breeze out of the north and the frost crunching under my feet I knew the deer would be long gone before I arrived. The clouds painted softly across the anticipating sky. I was followed by one of our barn cats, whenever I stopped to listen she rubbed herself on my ankles. I dared not scratch her head as she gets carried away and will climb up your leg if there are no fence posts nearby. The only birds I could hear were crows in the distance.
Then on cue as the winter sun began to return other birds began to sing, first some sparrows, a cardinal, then several ducks and geese over on the pond, and of course the crows continued their celebration of crowness. The sun begins its journey back today, it will march across this tree line and by June rise in the far left of the scene. Today is my wife's mothers birthday. I know which trees it will rise over on June 21st, the summer solstice, my mothers birthday, and I know where it will rise on the morning my father passed away. Its comforting to know some things will always return.



Back at home I headed in past a sign my wife painted when we first moved here. Some folks greet the sun with a prayer or a song. I really like the Navajo way, I'm not real sure if I have it right I heard it once long ago:

Beauty before me
Beauty behind me
Beauty all around me
I walk in Beauty.

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Skywatch Friday

Riley County Kansas

Riley County Kansas

Pottawatomie County Kansas

Near Vinita Oklahoma
Some random skies form the past few weeks.
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Officers Quarters
Fort Scott National Monument

Tack Room
Ft Scott National Monument

Skywatch Friday

Moonrise over June and Toms Barn
Jefferson County, Kansas

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Sepia Scenes

Elmer's Horse
Jefferson County, Kansas

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Wordless Wednesday

Untitled
Pottawatomie County Kansas

Untitled
Pottawatomie County Kansas

Well maybe a few words, Happy Thanksgiving!

Sunday Quote

Untitled
Wabunsee County Kansas

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. "- Thich Nhat Hanh

Skywatch Friday

November Evening Sky
Crawford County Kansas

Early Morning Sky
Crawford County Kansas

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Wordless Wednesday

Mural on a Monday

Mural
Vinita Oklahoma

New Neighbors

We have some new neighbors, fifty or so calves being pastured behind our pasture.
The other night as I looked out the window, I noticed at least one of them had gotten over the fence and was out in my pasture. So I called my neighbor and reported it out, and then went out to keep an eye on it so it didn't windup in the woods or worse yet out on the road. I yelled hey you go on over and spend some time fertilizing the berry patch" and went back to my work. After dark I spotted of headlights in the pasture so I'm sure it got home ok.
We have had warm, mild weather here in SE KS this week, windy and perfect for some plants plans for spreading seed.
The beautiful leaves that were everywhere are mostly a memory and Novembers browns and grays have settled in.

Mural on a Monday

Chelsea Oklahoma

Detail from Mural Chelsea Oklahoma

The Mother Road Route 66

Mosaic

I came across an interesting site that allows you to make mosaics of your images.
Check it out here.

Skywatch Friday

Crawford County Kansas

Crawford County Kansas

Just a few skies from last month from SE Kansas.
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Skywatch Friday Prairie Sunrise

A week ago Saturday I went for a hike on the prairie. I could tell from the sky it was going to be a chilly but beautiful beginning to the day. As I stood waiting for the sun to rise a female Northern Harrier about flew into me. She must have been intent on surveying the grass for breakfast, at the last moment she banked up and over me.

A doe and fawn moved to the creek bottom. The sky was clear but the colors in the grasses and wildflowers became alive.



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My World Tuesday Frontier Days

Last Saturday I spent the day at Fort Scott National Historic Site in South East Kansas. The Fort was celebrating "Frontier Days". The Fort has a rich history for the time it served as an outpost on the "Indian frontier", serving as a Calvary Post, Civil War Encampment and the nucleus for a small towns growth.
During the day there were many activities going on as well as folks in period costume "renactors".
Despite the cold temps and grey skies folks seemed to be having a good time.
One of the activities was an black powder lesson, led by the Ranger. I somehow got the feeling the young boy in the red was a ringer.
This young man demonstrated several shots and drilling with the musket, loading and aiming these things while under fire must have taken an great amount of concentration.
A little girl skipped along between buildings.
There was a soap making demonstration right down to the rendering of the lard. I have to admit I stayed here cause the fire was warm.
Inside the mess hall.
A band rehearsed "Buffalo Girls", they were great.
And a Civil War Era Baseball game was "renacted" with the help of two boy scout troops who were camped nearby. The Troop from Kansas donned the Yankee blue and the other from across the nearby border from Missouri wore they Rebel gray. Cheers sounded out "Hurrah for you Jayhawkers". The Border war renewed.
No gloves, slight differences in the rules, grass to run the bases and lots of good fun.

When I left the Jayhawkers were ahead by a few runs.

According to the NPS website "Promises made and broken! A town attacked at dawn! Thousands made homeless by war! Soldiers fighting settlers! Each of these stories is a link in the chain of events that encircled Fort Scott from 1842-73. All of the site's structures, its parade ground, and its tallgrass prairie bear witness to this era when the country was forged from a young republic into a united transcontinental nation."
For more info on Fort Scott National Historic Site visit here:
http://www.nps.gov/fosc/index.htm

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