A few years ago a group of "us guys" started a new tradition. We each bought one-man, inflatable pontoon boats and began the odyssey of what was to become our annual fishing expedition. Last year was the first trip for this illustrious group, and it was a resounding success.....Floating lazily down a quiet stream in Arkansas (can you visualize the movie Deliverance), casting along the bank for smallmouth bass, but mostly just enjoying the beautiful scenery along the Buffalo River.
The trip last year included four of us who are roughly the same age and two gentlemen who were in their eighties. Those two men literally wore the rest of us out.....up before dawn fixing breakfast, rousting the group from our semi-comfortable sleeping accommodations, and "encouraging" everyone to get an early start on the river. This year I think the two of them felt like we slowed them down, so they took off for another adventure in North Dakota, leaving us to fend for ourselves. We did, however, recruit another fellow to come along this time....brand new boat.....never been on any river....ever!
We schedule the trips for the week prior to Memorial Day which is usually just about perfect for fishing, floating, and avoiding the crazies that show up on the weekend. We rather like having the river to ourselves to enjoy the solitude of a quiet float down the river, sans the scores of upended canoes abandoned by those who find it too difficult to paddle and drink simultaneously.
Our well-planned adventure this year got off to a rocky start. The week(s) prior to our trip were filled with thunderstorms, tornadoes, and rain that was measured by the foot instead of by the inch! Well, at least there would be water in the river we thought.
The lady at the Ranger station said, "I've lived on this river my entire life and there is no way I'd get on it". The fellow at the canoe rental place told us, "Too dangerous. We're not putting anyone on the river today". Great, at least we'll have the river to ourselves!
We drove on down to one of the landings where we were met with a great big sign that read, DANGER - RIVER AT FLOOD STAGE. "Oh, how dangerous can it be" we say as we drove down for a closer look. "Yikes, that's a lot of water, what do you think?"
Evidently "thinking" was not something we felt the need to include in the equation as we drove up to the headwaters with our trusty pontoon boats in tow. The water was somewhat lower at the top, and a few other "brave" souls eyed the roiling waters with a fair amount of apprehension. "Oh, what the heck, we're experienced rafters....". Even our newest member had spent some time with his new boat in the swimming pool back home.....even prepared himself for inclement weather by having his wife turn the hose on him while he practiced his turns. As we all know, preparation is key.
"Here we go".........."Hey this is a piece of cake"......."Wow, this water is moving really fast"......."Is there a way to stop this thing"......."Michael, row your boat ashore"......."Geez, that was great, let's do it again"!
Just another one of life's little adventures.....If you don't live on the edge you're not living, right? Once again, proving beyond a shadow of doubt....What do I know?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Saturday night entertainment.....watching the paint dry.
When you live in the city most of the houses face the street in some fashion or the other, and it is customary for visitors to park on the street or in the driveway, and approach the front door for entry. That being the norm, I've seen some beautiful front yards, porches, and entryways. People spend thousands of dollars installing just the right landscaping, enhanced by just the right ambient lighting, to form the most gracious entrances to their homes.
We lived in that environment for many years, and likewise, spent countless hours and countless dollars to create the perfect approach to our home. It seemed very important at the time, and besides, one had to keep up with the Jones' place next door where every blade of grass was trimmed to perfection, and every lovely shrub was exquisitely pruned as well. It takes hours of work each week to keep a 70' X 150' yard "presentable", so finally I just gave up! No, I didn't let my yard go native and bring in the goats to keep it groomed. Like Eddie Albert, I simply decided that country living was the life for me and moved to the ranch.....Miss Elizabeth came along for the ride, and I'm still not sure she's convinced the decision was for the best. Ah, but I digress....
When you build a house in the country there aren't many rules to follow, no set-back lines from the street, no minimum or maximum square footage, no requirements as to which way to face the house, no homeowners' associations, and most of all, no neighbors out clipping their grass with a pair of scissors. I guess you could say the competition for the best kept yard came down a notch....or maybe two. In fact, I can scan the horizon in all four directions and not see a single house. Bliss to some, to others an absolute nightmare. For me, the quiet serenity of life in the country is wonderful.
Again, I've drifted from my initial train of thought.....some say that's quite normal for me, but I think it's just a sign; Of what I'm not sure, but a sign nevertheless. Anyway, to get back on track, now that we live in the country the front door is rarely used by the occasional visitor to our home. In fact, I can probably count on both hands the number of people who have graced that entry. Our driveway meanders through the trees, past the front of the house and ends up delivering our visitors on the side of the house opposite from the road. Therefore, friends and family routinely announce their arrival at our back door. Like they say, back door friends are the best anyway.
I had sensed that something was afoot, and yesterday morning, Miss Elizabeth suggested that we "spruce up" the back entry since it's the one most seen by our visitors.......WHAT? Didn't we leave all that behind us when we left the city? I guess not, because I spent the better part of my Saturday afternoon putting a fresh coat of green paint on what was a perfectly acceptable white door. Then, the better part of the evening was spent "watching the paint dry" to ensure it was the proper color....Oh dear!
I must admit, however, that it did warm things up a bit.....made it a little more inviting than before....now if we'd just add some flagstone walkways, a couple of new shrubs, and some of those directional lights......Oh my gosh, I think it's the return of my worst nightmare, proving once again, what do I know?
We lived in that environment for many years, and likewise, spent countless hours and countless dollars to create the perfect approach to our home. It seemed very important at the time, and besides, one had to keep up with the Jones' place next door where every blade of grass was trimmed to perfection, and every lovely shrub was exquisitely pruned as well. It takes hours of work each week to keep a 70' X 150' yard "presentable", so finally I just gave up! No, I didn't let my yard go native and bring in the goats to keep it groomed. Like Eddie Albert, I simply decided that country living was the life for me and moved to the ranch.....Miss Elizabeth came along for the ride, and I'm still not sure she's convinced the decision was for the best. Ah, but I digress....
When you build a house in the country there aren't many rules to follow, no set-back lines from the street, no minimum or maximum square footage, no requirements as to which way to face the house, no homeowners' associations, and most of all, no neighbors out clipping their grass with a pair of scissors. I guess you could say the competition for the best kept yard came down a notch....or maybe two. In fact, I can scan the horizon in all four directions and not see a single house. Bliss to some, to others an absolute nightmare. For me, the quiet serenity of life in the country is wonderful.
Again, I've drifted from my initial train of thought.....some say that's quite normal for me, but I think it's just a sign; Of what I'm not sure, but a sign nevertheless. Anyway, to get back on track, now that we live in the country the front door is rarely used by the occasional visitor to our home. In fact, I can probably count on both hands the number of people who have graced that entry. Our driveway meanders through the trees, past the front of the house and ends up delivering our visitors on the side of the house opposite from the road. Therefore, friends and family routinely announce their arrival at our back door. Like they say, back door friends are the best anyway.
I had sensed that something was afoot, and yesterday morning, Miss Elizabeth suggested that we "spruce up" the back entry since it's the one most seen by our visitors.......WHAT? Didn't we leave all that behind us when we left the city? I guess not, because I spent the better part of my Saturday afternoon putting a fresh coat of green paint on what was a perfectly acceptable white door. Then, the better part of the evening was spent "watching the paint dry" to ensure it was the proper color....Oh dear!
I must admit, however, that it did warm things up a bit.....made it a little more inviting than before....now if we'd just add some flagstone walkways, a couple of new shrubs, and some of those directional lights......Oh my gosh, I think it's the return of my worst nightmare, proving once again, what do I know?
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Oh those playful little fur balls.....grew up!
Some of you may recall that last summer I made an executive decision to bring home a really cute black Labrador puppy. Shortly thereafter, with the guarded blessing of Miss Elizabeth, "we" brought home a really cute chocolate Labrador puppy, doubling our pleasure, and our vet bills, and our feed bills, and last but not least, doubling the aggravation that two young dogs can cause.
Okay, we expected that they would be the rambunctious sorts, as Labs are always full of spit and vinegar. These two are no exception to that rule, and so far have caused a fair amount of consternation around the ranch. Last winter when I was cutting trees for firewood, it was the cutest thing to watch the two of them "fetch" the smaller limbs that I was carrying to the brush pile in the pasture. Then, they started "fetching" larger limbs from the pasture, some of which required the two of them working in tandem to carry back to the house. You see where this is going......Now, everyday our yard is filled with limbs that have somehow made their way back from that big brush pile west of the house. These dogs are great retrievers alright!
So, every few days either I or Miss Elizabeth gather the limbs and return them to their rightful place, only to have them appear again overnight. For awhile we put Maddie and Molly in the kennel at night, but one evening after tucking them in for the night, we were greeted with the playful yelps of the two pups, thrilled to show us the new trick they'd learned......I had no idea Labs could scale a fence like that!
Of course, there's more. A couple of months ago I ordered some items from a popular mail order catalog; a few summer tees, a pair of flip flops (used to be called thongs, but I guess that was in another lifetime), and a pair of mesh fishing shoes. No one was at home when the mail came, so like always, the mail carrier left the box on the front porch.....big mistake. Tees-shredded, Flip-flops-shredded, Mesh shoes-shredded.....pups were very near going to puppy heaven, but received a pardon at the last moment.
Oh, but there's more yet. Two weeks ago Miss Elizabeth ordered new contact lenses......I'm not even going to go into the details of that one, but I think you can figure it out for yourself. Fortunately, when she called to explain why she needed to re-order the lenses, the folks at the doctor's office were so enamored with her "the dogs ate my lenses" story that they sent a her new ones for free. Once again, the pups were very, very near to puppy heaven.
Now we're dealing with the landscaping that's been years in the making. Hostas are taking a beating, fountain grass has endured several transplants, the new coleus is struggling to stay in the upright position, and the potted rain lilies keep getting unpotted.
Miss Elizabeth has just about reached her limit, and I'm afraid it's me that might be on the way to heaven this time.....I guess I'll have company though....man's best friend, right? Oh heck, what do I know anyway!!
Okay, we expected that they would be the rambunctious sorts, as Labs are always full of spit and vinegar. These two are no exception to that rule, and so far have caused a fair amount of consternation around the ranch. Last winter when I was cutting trees for firewood, it was the cutest thing to watch the two of them "fetch" the smaller limbs that I was carrying to the brush pile in the pasture. Then, they started "fetching" larger limbs from the pasture, some of which required the two of them working in tandem to carry back to the house. You see where this is going......Now, everyday our yard is filled with limbs that have somehow made their way back from that big brush pile west of the house. These dogs are great retrievers alright!
So, every few days either I or Miss Elizabeth gather the limbs and return them to their rightful place, only to have them appear again overnight. For awhile we put Maddie and Molly in the kennel at night, but one evening after tucking them in for the night, we were greeted with the playful yelps of the two pups, thrilled to show us the new trick they'd learned......I had no idea Labs could scale a fence like that!
Of course, there's more. A couple of months ago I ordered some items from a popular mail order catalog; a few summer tees, a pair of flip flops (used to be called thongs, but I guess that was in another lifetime), and a pair of mesh fishing shoes. No one was at home when the mail came, so like always, the mail carrier left the box on the front porch.....big mistake. Tees-shredded, Flip-flops-shredded, Mesh shoes-shredded.....pups were very near going to puppy heaven, but received a pardon at the last moment.
Oh, but there's more yet. Two weeks ago Miss Elizabeth ordered new contact lenses......I'm not even going to go into the details of that one, but I think you can figure it out for yourself. Fortunately, when she called to explain why she needed to re-order the lenses, the folks at the doctor's office were so enamored with her "the dogs ate my lenses" story that they sent a her new ones for free. Once again, the pups were very, very near to puppy heaven.
Now we're dealing with the landscaping that's been years in the making. Hostas are taking a beating, fountain grass has endured several transplants, the new coleus is struggling to stay in the upright position, and the potted rain lilies keep getting unpotted.
Miss Elizabeth has just about reached her limit, and I'm afraid it's me that might be on the way to heaven this time.....I guess I'll have company though....man's best friend, right? Oh heck, what do I know anyway!!
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Thankful for all that God provides....
What a beautiful day it is today. The sky is a vivid blue, the sun is shining, and after what seems like weeks of being rainy and cold, it finally feels like spring again. It's just a great time to be at the ranch. The pastures are absolutely stunning now that the green grass is taking the place of the charred blackness of the burn a few weeks ago. It almost looks like green velvet stretching across the valley and up the hills to the south of the house.
I was standing at the window a few minutes ago taking it all in and was struck by the sheer beauty of nature, and all that God has provided for our enjoyment. On the back porch our two wonder dogs, Maddie and Molly, were lolling lazily in the sunshine, evidently exhausted by the hard work of protecting us from all that moves around the property. Maddie was flat on her back with all four legs in the air, and as usual Molly right by her side.
Down in the pasture the cows were similarly enjoying the sunshine. A few of them were standing, but most were lying around chewing their cuds, and keeping an eye on the calves scattered about. I was mentioning to Miss Elizabeth just a few days ago that there's something extremely relaxing about watching the cows as they mosey from place to place, munching the fresh grass and living large.
Last fall, we acquired the "horse with no home", now named Lucky Star, and she has been an interesting addition to our menagerie. She provides the grace and beauty that the cows can only dream about as she throws her head up high and lopes across the pasture...."feeling her oats" would be an appropriate description for the way she's acting today. Most of the time she simply follows the cows around the pasture, pretending to be their friend, when in fact she is monitoring their every move and gently moves them in the direction she wants. She is very protective of the calves and will help "round them up" on occasion.
We get so caught up in the hustle bustle of our daily lives, that we sometimes forget to live. It's springtime, and it's a great time to take a drive in the country to experience the rebirth of all that has been dormant through the winter. If you can, take some time for yourself, breathe the fresh air, gaze at the sights and sounds around your world, and offer up a small prayer for all that you have to be thankful for this glorious day. It can't hurt, and I suspect that you will find it to be invigorating, but once again, what do I know?
I was standing at the window a few minutes ago taking it all in and was struck by the sheer beauty of nature, and all that God has provided for our enjoyment. On the back porch our two wonder dogs, Maddie and Molly, were lolling lazily in the sunshine, evidently exhausted by the hard work of protecting us from all that moves around the property. Maddie was flat on her back with all four legs in the air, and as usual Molly right by her side.
Down in the pasture the cows were similarly enjoying the sunshine. A few of them were standing, but most were lying around chewing their cuds, and keeping an eye on the calves scattered about. I was mentioning to Miss Elizabeth just a few days ago that there's something extremely relaxing about watching the cows as they mosey from place to place, munching the fresh grass and living large.
Last fall, we acquired the "horse with no home", now named Lucky Star, and she has been an interesting addition to our menagerie. She provides the grace and beauty that the cows can only dream about as she throws her head up high and lopes across the pasture...."feeling her oats" would be an appropriate description for the way she's acting today. Most of the time she simply follows the cows around the pasture, pretending to be their friend, when in fact she is monitoring their every move and gently moves them in the direction she wants. She is very protective of the calves and will help "round them up" on occasion.
We get so caught up in the hustle bustle of our daily lives, that we sometimes forget to live. It's springtime, and it's a great time to take a drive in the country to experience the rebirth of all that has been dormant through the winter. If you can, take some time for yourself, breathe the fresh air, gaze at the sights and sounds around your world, and offer up a small prayer for all that you have to be thankful for this glorious day. It can't hurt, and I suspect that you will find it to be invigorating, but once again, what do I know?
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