Stolen Moments

I could talk about a lot of things that have happened since my last post.  To me, my family, my friends, my country, the world.  But I won't.  Today is Earth Day, and I want to preserve a few moments of peace, talking about how much I love being outside.

I have lived and worked in the city, and there are some things to appreciate about being downtown.  It is just simply not my preference.  Although I do make exceptions for the symphony and theater.  The city and country hum in two completely different ways.  I live out in the country now.  I do have neighbors, but they spread out a bit.  To the back and side, I'm surrounded by a horse farm.  They not only have a stable full of horses, but what seems to be an entire pack of dogs.  Some belong to them, some to visitors who board horses.  Some they took in temporarily and just never left.  There are also goats who pretty much run free munching on whatever the bump into. 

I love getting up in the morning with the sun and sneaking outside a few moments before my girls wake up. Right now we're still in the best part of spring.  Everything is growing and smelling fresh.  Our greenhouse is full of baby plants, just getting their roots down and stems up, not yet ready for the garden.  The pear, apple, and almond trees are blooming, and leafing out, getting ready to spend summer growing something delicious.  The landscape is sprining to life with my husband's plants, that I may never learn the names to all of.  "Is this a weed or a plant?"  How many times have I asked that question.

I love being by the lake, in the woods, in grassy fields, up a hill or mountain.  I just love being outside.  Day, or night.  It makes me feel small and peaceful.  It feels clean and happy.  I just hope we can keep it that way for the next generation.  I hope that my girls will love and appreciate it as much as me.

So today, I'm enjoying the outside.  I'm being selfish and pretending for a few stolen moments that nothing is wrong anywhere, that there was no loss, no war, no politics.  Just wind blowing gently, sun shining, horses rolling in the fields, and little girls picking flowers.