Last Day of 2011

2011 is worn and tattered and soon to be discarded.  It's already gone from the other side of the globe.  Frankly I'm glad to see it go, and hope the eternal hope of a better reality next year.  May we all give thanks for the blessings of this year, and be the change we want to see in the world next year.  Peace and love, my friends.

Our Lady Of Silos

No disrespect intended.  I thought this close relationship between work and grave was interesting.  Farming is a little like the lyrics of Hotel California:  "You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave."  Can you tell I'm a wee bit disillusioned?

Peace On Earth

Merry Christmas, everyone!  May you have a blessed new year!

If It Fits, It Ships

This is the Hennepin Canal which runs across northern Illinois and eventually connects with the Mississippi River.  With the advent of trains, the canal, and it's horse-drawn barges, was obsolete by the time it was finished.

Rainy Day Ramblings

Santa Is Dead; Long Live Christmas!

In an unexpected turn of events today, an extremist anti-commercialism group is claiming responsibility for the death of Santa Claus. Mr. Claus was killed early this morning in what is reported to be a drive-by shooting. Also dead are Mickey Mouse and two unidentified snowmen. The deaths are being hailed as a blow against the rampant greed that has slowly eroded the true meaning of Christmas. Leaders everywhere are hailing it as a first small step in throwing off the yoke of retailers, long seen as having a stranglehold over the hearts of children and the pocketbooks of parents. It was thought that this domination would continue until everyone in the world became utterly controlled by their possessions.

Police are investigating, although one officer was heard to say, “It's about time!” The National Weather Service has also become involved, claiming that the deaths are a result of an errant wind gust.

Stuck Tight

The rivers are freezing much later than usual this year, for which everyone but the ice fishermen is profoundly grateful.  It's been an unusually balmy and beautiful fall in the Midwest.  I think I'll have to send Al Gore a Christmas present for inventing global warming.

Early Morning Sun

Momentary Spotlight

Fall Vignettes

Happy Thanksgiving!

Another harvest in the bin or elevator, and we are safe and sound and thankful.  God is good.

Got My Ducks In A Row

Yeah, right.

The Dark of Day

Sky On Fire

Big Mess, Itty-Bitty Barrow

Thunder Weather

Morning Shadows

Sunset Over The Grain Bins

Romantic, isn't it?  lol

Harvest Moon Balancing Act

And So It Begins

Fall in the Midwest, a gorgeous time to be outdoors, and a worry that the crops won't be harvested before it snows.  Farmers are headed outside for long days (and sometimes nights) in the combine.

As the humans are heading out, the mice are headed in.  Into my house, specifically.  I tried posting itty-bitty 'No Trespassing' signs and running a strand of barbed wire around my foundation, but apparently mice can't read.  Or won't.  I hear them running around inside the walls laughing, which I think is just rude.  Do you know how demoralizing it is to be taunted by a mouse?  It really gets my goat.

Old And New

An Afternoon in Japan

Scenes from Anderson Japanese Gardens, Rockford, IL.  Well worth a trip, but only if you like peace and beauty.

Angels

My favorite spot in Anderson Gardens:  three angel sculptures by the Swedish artist Carl Milles, who was a student of Auguste Rodin.

A Pause for Reflection

Repeating Shapes

Wabi-sabi Bush With Ginkgo Leaf

Wabi-sabi is a Japanese world view that roughly translates to beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete".  From Wikipedia:  "In one sense wabi sabi is a training whereby the student of wabi sabi learns to find the most simple objects interesting, fascinating and beautiful.  Fading autumn leaves would be an example.  Wabi sabi can change our perception of the world to the extent that a chip or crack in a vase makes it more interesting and gives the object greater meditative value.  Similarly materials that age such as bare wood, paper and fabric become more interesting as they exhibit changes that can be observed over time."

The Golden Hour

The Better To Hear You With

I know it's a terrible picture, but I was just so excited to see this huge owl.  By the way, no matter what your camera's advertising boasts, ISO 6400 is noisy!  ; )

Drama Down on the Farm

Afterburn

Lonesome Prairie

Wyoming Sky

Living in a Sculpture Garden

Near Dubois, Wyoming.

Dwarfed

Nothing But Sage

Leaning Toward Crossing The Road