Monday, September 08, 2014

Five Good Things






































Some good friends asked us to join them in the local mountains, and thank goodness we accepted their offer. I kept thinking of all the house projects we have half finished {or is that half unfinished?} and it was hard to hit the pause button, and get out of town. But there is no end of affirmations about finding balance and making time for loved ones, and for good reason! Our home was just as messy as we left it, the projects just as far from completion, but every bit of our brief getaway with James and Deanne was totally worth it! We enjoyed all the mountain scenery, the sweet hospitality of our friends, the lakeside fun, and relaxing. Oh, yes... relaxing! The water was the perfect temperature of mountain summer cold, the pines smelled good, the stellar bluejays were endlessly entertaining. Parker and Maria sharing their Lego Club magazine, while we puttered around that gorgeous lake, was pretty cute. Probably the hardest part was packing up and leaving for home.

Good things...

1. Catching up with good friends.

2. Catching just enough of a big storm to enjoy it, but not getting more than we could handle.

3. Beautiful clouds, and sunsets and sunrises.

4. Enjoying the blessings and good news that friends have to share.

5. Coming home, even to messes, and getting ready for the new week.

It's hot here. Not to dwell on it, but seriously... it's really ughy-muggy hot. In the mountains I enjoyed looking for any hints of fall. There weren't many to speak of. I'll keep looking, here, there. Soon this heatwave will break, and foggy mornings will become more frequent, and I'll be digging through my dresser for a pair of wool socks. Just imagining the cool of fall, and all the pleasures I enjoy in that season, makes me feel blissful. Is fall hinting where you are? Are you enjoying good things?

5 comments:

Sylvia said...

Love those photos, Natalie, especially the ones of the blue and black birds. When you called them "stellar" blue jays, I had to look them up because they are so different from the ones out here on the East Coast (just regular blue jays!).
I'm sure you and Maria already know about this link, but just in case!
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/blue_jay/id

Natalie, the Chickenblogger said...

Aren't they remarkable birds, corvidae? Love those colors, but their intelligence, I think, makes them especially fun to observe. Your blue jay variety is downright handsome! Some day I will go East! It will be a birding bonanza!

Anonymous said...

Great pictures, Natalie. It looks beautiful there.

Ruth

warren said...

Those jays are cool looking birds...like a blue jay we have over here but not...must be a western thing. They look rock-and-roll

judy in ky said...

What a gorgeous place. I could smell the pine trees.