I was talking about the incredible loudness of the morning. It was the morning before the impending rail strike. It felt like the train engineers were throwing a full fledged tantrum. Starting at 430 am until well after 6 am, you could barely hold a conversation out on the deck and the sound was echoing inside just as loudly. Non-stop horns for literally hours. The tracks are several miles from our home, but they run along the ridge to the valley, so everyone had the benefit of their displeasure. It was nerve wrecking and migraine inducing.
I remember telling Hubs that I could never remember it being so loud. He agreed. It was almost painful, as if you were standing beside one of the horns while it was being blown, for hours. By Friday morning, it was back to the occasional whistle and then nothing. All weekend it was peaceful and this morning, I haven't heard a single whistle, I can hear the trains moving along, but they are doing so in silence.
I guess they were trying to get the worlds attention. Trying to literally wake people up to their plight. I get it, I guess... If we don't speak up, we are forever silenced when the moment comes.
Hubs has been busy working for the past few hours. I was hoping that we'd have time for coffee this morning, but he has some early morning meetings and then it's back to the grindstone time. The price one pays for taking vacation time. It's okay. I understand. He's got a lot going on right now and he needs to focus on it for a bit.
I'm guilty as well. After all it's only 6 am and I have already started laundry and planning my day as well. It's going to be a full one. Chores to do and hopefully a bit of time for pure creativity. I remember the days of trying to get everything done, because of non-stop deadlines. There were times I thrived on it and times I resented it. My deadlines are different now, but still present. Now they are self-induced and driven by nature and natural things.
Yesterday we sat out in the garden under the umbrella as it rained gently, Hubs helped me to shell a case of purple hulled peas we'd picked up at the Amish market. It was a time to chat, work and enjoy being together. Later in the day, he helped me prepare the case of green beans we'd picked up as well. Sometimes just being with your favorite person doing a menial task, makes light work of it. I assure you that canning 21 pints of green beans is menial, tiresome and back breaking. Having someone to chat and laugh with makes it better.
Thursday ended up being a rough day, one of the reasons I didn't finish my blog. I can laugh about Thursday now, but I couldn't then. The puppies decided to unravel and strew three balls of yarn from one end of the living room to the other side of the sitting room, wrapping it around tables, chairs and fans. All mixed up together. It was the yarn for the sweater I am half-way through making. I definitely sat and cried for the three plus hours it took to clean that mess up. I am fairly positive they were letting me know that I had been working too much and not playing with them enough. I mean, they are babies.
I learned my lesson, after correcting them for doing it and cleaning it all up, the three of us went on an adventure to the river. I let them run themselves silly, splash in the water at the edge and spent lots of time on just them. In fact the majority of our three day weekend was spent giving them love, time and attention. We took them to another beach on our way home from the Amish market and discovered that both of our babies are very strong swimmers and they enjoyed the heat of the day, by swimming in the shallow river after running up and down the beach for what felt like an eternity.
We'd planned on going to a couple of craft fairs, decided to take the puppies hiking instead. There are so many incredible places to do things literally in our back yard. We explored the Phantom Forest with the babies, where they encountered their first box turtle, we climbed the hills and explored deep into the valley. It was a rather strenuous hike for being literally in the heart of town. Tucked neatly in between subdivisions was a hilly paradise.
As we climbed up exploring this new little bit of heaven, I couldn't help but marvel that I was climbing pain free, as if the years of pain from a failing knee had never even happened. Hubs barely had to help me, except on a few super steep declines (declines are still a bit tricky) and I was able to keep up with all of them. At times I was even in the lead. The hill was definitely higher than it appeared from the street.
If you haven't guessed, I thrive in nature. The time I spend outdoors feels like time spent in the presence of God. I needed it this weekend. I would have loved to go to the craft/reenactment events, Hubs was definitely game to do so. I was the one that changed the plans. I simply needed the peace of nature, not the anxiety of being around hundreds of people.
It was the perfect choice for us. Puppies got spoiled, Hubs and I enjoyed a combination of relaxation, exercise and rejuvenation an all around win/win scenario.
Today, we move back into the daily routine. It feels as if the world is building to some kind of crescendo, like we are watching a suspenseful movie or listening to a great orchestra building up the tension before the final scene. I think I am simply happiest not being a part of it.
It's almost a quarter to seven, the sun is starting to make it's presence known, the birds are starting to chirp and my two hummingbird friends just flew up singing their songs. All seems to be the promise of a bright new start to the week. We've moved into our second summer and the temps are going to be quite warm, might have to take the pups to the river a few times this week... but for now, in the coolness of the morning, I need to get busy putting up the rest of the harvest and collecting seeds for next years plantings.
Spend a bit of time alone in nature. Turn off your phone and simply disconnect. Take whatever moments you can steal and spend them with those that are absolutely most important. It's a powerful healer for all that ails you.
love and peace...
Good one! 381+
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