“Hey, Bruno.   Here comes some more people. Let’s hide up behind those rocks again and growl like bears.”

“Perfect idea Doyle.  This will be the third set of hikers we’ve scared today.  You think we should growl like bears, or howl like wolves?”

“Definitely bears.  That scares the holy heck out of them.  Who knew life in Utah could be so much fun?”

Oh.  Those sneaky moments in life.

Yep.  That sure can be the deal.  Often times, things aren’t always as they seem.    On occasion … the unexpected happens.

Actually, when you consider the all and all of life….. the unexpected happens more often than not.

We certainly can’t foresee the future.  (Well.  Some people say they can… and maybe it is true for them.  But for this little camper right here…. I have absolutely no idea what is around the bend.)  Most of the time…  it isn’t quite what I had anticipated.

I have read a lot of spiritual teachings which say…. that when we are faced with something that’s unexpected, unwanted and uncertain…. we should consider that it just may be a gift.

Most of the time, I believe this is true.  We may not realize it in the moment.  But eventually, we understand that things unfolded just as they should have.  We may not always like it…  but we learn from it.  Hopefully.  And grow from it.  Hopefully.

Along those same lines, it is important to remember that ….  not everything that counts can be counted.  Sometime the things that matter the very most …..might come and go…..  without us recognizing the importance.  The impact.  The bigger picture.

So when things are quite what they seem…. it could just be…  it is our truest moment.  In disguise.

Just like Doyle… the Cocker Spaniel Mix… with a great sense of humor…. and an incredible impression of a Grizzly Bear.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.  — Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have found that if you love life, life will love you back.  — Arthur Rubenstein

Some days, it seems, that I just keep getting the same message over and over again.

It is sorta’like the old King Henry the 8th Song…. “Second verse, same as the first.”?

Today,  I had to tune in.

There was no choice in the matter.  And the thing that kept coming up again and again was the “importance of positive energy in our lives.”  I overheard people talking about it.  There were others who said it  directly to me. I read about it… and heard it on the news.  I saw it happening… and not happening.   Everywhere, it seems…. this notion… this idea… wanted itself to be known….. …  loud and clear.

Positive energy… a good attitude… makes the world seem brighter.

Our internal perspectives…. WILL in fact, reach the outside.  They will emit through our eyes, our mouths, and through every pore of our skinny, skin, skins.  This will touch others…. either in a good way or a bad way.  Depending.

It is much like being at the really fun birthday party with the big stick.  And…… if you crack open a Pinata… and there is candy on the inside… well, by goodness… candy is going to come out and spill sweetness all over the place.   If there is a swarm of angry bees on the inside…..

You got it.

On the flip side of that… some of the smallest of objects can cast some very long shadows.   Standing in the way of the light… in front of the light… will definitely block it.  And as a result…. a dark shadow will prevail.

Here is the thing.  I know some really positive people in this world.  I aspire to be like them.  I want to learn from them.   I want to be a part of the light… and not the thing that blocks it out.

It has been said that sometimes our choices of action might be limited.  But the choices of our thought is not limited.  Pinata Candy, Baby.

I want my choices of thought….  to be with the light.  It is sometimes easier said than done.  I want to be the candy corn and Snickers Bars  … and not the angry bees.

Today, I spent most of my time at the ball fields.  Watching those Ohio Cardinals Softball Team win three great games.

But there were a lot of different people there.  We converged on that same place.  And it made me think about all the people in the world who I will never meet… or even know of.

Of course, that, in turn, makes me feel very blessed and fortunate to have the friends I have.  I haven’t seen many of these fine folks in a while.  We mostly gather for these ball tournaments, and such.   But every time, it is like we fall right back comfortably…. where we left off.

And would’t you know.  This silly brain of mine…. saw a few things today…. which remind me of my friends.

First I saw a pile of peanut shells.   Now those…. are the nuts.  Yes.  The ones who are just a little one the goofy side, smiling, joking, and having fun.  They come out of their shells pretty easily.  They can be salty.  Some can be tough to crack.  But those nuts are good nuts.  I am glad for them.

While at the diamonds, I took notice of how the fence was put together.  This reminds me of friends who are like the anchors and the hardware… that hold the world together.  They are strong, and tried and true.  Our friendships fit together, just like the threads that match up between a bolt and a nut.  I am especially glad for them too.

Finally… I walked by a lot of trees today.  And there are friends which are a little like pine cones.  Mostly, they are sitting quietly, in the waiting.  They are always sturdy, natural, and as down to earth as can be.  Each one incredibly unique.  They have many, many layers…. each layer fitting perfectly together, to make the whole of the parts.   I am always so glad for them.  Just the site of them brings me joy.

Yes, no matter where I looked today, I was reminded of the great people in my life…. my friends.  I am so very glad for  all these friends.  No matter the who, the why , or the what of them.   For true friends can come in many different ways.  And I will forever hold them dearly in my heart….. for that always feels like the right way.

“Stay is a charming word in a friend’s vocabulary.”   —  Amos Bronson Alcott

“Can miles truly separate you from friends… If you want to be with someone you love, aren’t you already there?”   — Richard Bach

Some days, clarity abounds.

Today was one of those days for me.
One of my biggest downfalls is always trying to make sure I have all my ducks in a row.  All the while…. trying to make sure that all over the world… all the other ducks are all in their respective rows.  Just on the off chance that my duck rows might intersect with their duck rows.

Is anybody able to ducking follow this?

At any rate, today I had the realization, once again, that I am supposed to be in this exact moment.  Whatever that moment may be.  And while I am in that moment, to take notice, and be at ease with the present place and time.

Mindfulness is its name-o-rama.

Mindfulness is at the root of Buddhism, Taoism, and many Native-American traditions.  Many great minds have considered its relevance.  It’s why good old  Thoreau went to Walden Pond.    And one of my favorites…. Walt Whitman wrote about in his essays and poems.

My big deal is that I am always struggling with whatever is taking place.  Even if it is good.  I start filling it up with a bunch of “What If’s”….  and trying to get myself somehow…. “ready” for what might happen next.

When will I finally realize that I can’t predict anything.   I am not sure if I am the only one who does this….. but maybe.  I can’t BEGIN to count the number of times I have played over possible future scenarios in my head….. only to find there’s no way to know what is down the pike?

It is silly and it is wasted brain energy.  It is time that could be spent really listening to people.  Time when I could have just been feeling okay about anything.

It is paradoxical.  It is like we need to “hand it over and let it be”…. but it really isn’t ours to hand over in the first place.  It all just happens… no matter how much we may protest, or applaud.

Trust. Breath.  Listen.  Be there.
Today I had a lot of moments of truly being there.  In that minute.    It happens to me when I am surrounded by huge red rocks and cliffs.  They don’t have ducks in the canyons with the big red rocks.

No ducks.  No worrying about ducks.

Today… there was just an appreciation for being me, and being exactly where I was supposed to be.

It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.  —  Eckhart Tolle

I don’t mind the whole traveling / flying thing.  For the most part, these days, it all just seems to go as it does.

And, if all the Delta Gods are with you… and your flights connect up…. it really isn’t so bad.

Yet any day you move from one part of the world, to another part of the world…. you encounter a profusion of people attempting to achieve the same outcome as you.   Everyone just goes about it a little differently.  Sweet Calamari…..  do they ever!

It seems that about 50% of the time we fly, someone is sitting in our seats when we get there.  Most of the time, it is the direct cause of ADA.  The Alphabetic Differentiation Affliction.  It seems these people do not have to ability to determine the difference between A/B and C/D.    At any rate… it happened to us again today.

It isn’t a big deal.  Little annoyances at best.  Mostly… good flying.

So now we find ourselves in Utah.  It is really a beautiful state.  Did you know that Utah has five national parks?  Arches, Canyonlands, Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef.  And…. Utah also has the highest literacy rate in the nation.  The people with the ADA on the plane were clearly NOT from Utah.

It seems the people here are pretty nice overall.  Except for the little incident I had in the Fine Art Pottery Shop.  I included the photo above.

But in my defense, I typically read and follow signs.  So in this particular case, I was simply reading and following directions.  The sign on the wall clearly said to “Gently flip each switch one at a time.”

So I began.  I flipped one gently, and a row of lights went off.   Then I flipped the other one gently.  Another row of lights went off.  Again, one gently…. and THIS time a row of lights came ON…. and then the other gently… and the whole place lit up again.  I continued this light show quite nicely with a continued series of gentle flips.  Then….. as I turned around to share in the glee with all the rest of the people in the store…. I noticed many of them stood with their mouths agape.

And right through the middle of the pack…. the lady from behind the counter pushed her way through… and came right in my direction.  She was rolling up her sleeves, as she strode toward me.  And…  her face was terribly red, and filled with angst.

As she approached… she said in a rather stiff voice… “Get you hands off of that thing.”  This was completely contradictory to what the sign on the wall had just instructed me to do.  Clearly she was upset….  and I did not even try to make my case…. as she pointed me toward the door.    Once again… I questioned the literacy rate in Utah.   But then I wondered if I hadn’t been the subject of some practical joke.

So…I guess for the most part… the people here seem very nice.
And maybe tomorrow… I’ll do better at reading the signs of life…

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” |  C.S. Lewis

You know I care about you.  I do.

As sure as I am sitting here typing.

With that said, I think there is something you should know.
Quite a few things, actually.

You might want to sit down.  If you are already sitting… stay down… by golly.
Here it goes.

1.  Montpelier, Vermont is the only U.S. state capital without a McDonalds.   I guess that means they are not LOVING IT up in Vermont.  If you plan on visiting… get your Big Mac Attacks out of the way before you go.
2.  The next time you are staring lovingly at your hamster… and you think the little fella’ is winking back…. well… it probably isn’t so.  Hamsters only blink one eye at a time.   AND… if they blink both eyes at the SAME time… be afraid.  Be very afraid.
3. The longest recorded flight of a chicken is thirteen seconds.  I don’t know who knows this for sure.  I was unaware that chickens were required to keep flight logs.  Apparently, Poultry Air Traffic Control is much more complicated that I suspected.
4. February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.   Curious, don’t you think?  It could have something to do with the blinking hamsters.
5. If you need to call someone in Antarctica, the international telephone dialing code for Antarctica is 672.  Call them crazy when you do.
6. How’s your health?  Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.   Somehow, I find this reassuring.
7. I am not a big fan of Nutmeg.  I’m just not.  I especially don’t like it in Chili.  Any way… I had a sneaky suspicion there was something sinister about Nutmeg.  It is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.  Death by Pumpkin Pie is next.  (See earlier comment about living to 116 years of age.)

I only tell you these things because I care.  I’d hate to see you get in the way of a flying chicken at 11 seconds.  I just would.

I like cows.
For a lot of different reasons.  They are among the brightest animals in the world… as they are always outstanding in their field.

Here are some interesting cow facts that you many not have known.

The Sun Sign… Taurus (which is me)… used to be called Taurus the Cow.  Not Taurus the Bull.   It was changed in 1835 by Ferdinand Theodore Baxter.  Also a Taurean.  I don’t think he liked being called a cow.

The first cow to skydive was name Maybelle, near Sioux City, Iowa, in 1972.  She did not want to skydive.  She was pushed.

It is not known when the first cow jumped over the moon.  But the cow… did  in fact….. jump over the moon.  Oh her own volition.

The cowbell used to be a common site in fields around the world until recently.  The earliest archaeological evidence of bells dates back to more than 5000 years ago, from the 3rd millennium BC in Neolithic China.   Cows do not wear bells so that they can be tracked by herders.  Nope.   Cows wear bells because they don’t have horns.

Cows eat about 40 pounds of food a day.  They drink a lot too… like a bathtub full of water.  But they do not drink out of the toilet.

The Farmer in the Dell takes the Wife.
But when it gets down to the cow….
The Cow takes the Dog.
Where…. and WHY…. does the cow take the dog?  This is a WAY bigger question than the Chicken Crossing the Road deal.

And.  Always remember.  Never look a Gift Cow in the Udder.  Everybody knows about not looking the horse in the mouth.  You are JUST going to have to trust me on the udder thing.

Finally.  Stop and watch the cows.  Just like taking pause and smelling the roses is a fine thing to do… so is standing in a field with a bunch of cows.  You can hear them breathe,  watch them move along, slowly.  Thoughtfully.  You begin to understand.  Life is not measured in time, but it is discovered in experiences.

Another good rule:  Watch for cow patties as you walk back to your car.

Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them. — Marcus Aurelius

I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘if this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’ — Kurt Vonnegut

Happiness. Not in another place but this place, not for an hour, but this hour. — Walt Whitman

.

Maybe I am a flake.
Or it could be that I am evolving.

Actually, now that I consider the entire scenario, I think that I am REVOLVING.

I am talking about my tastes.  They change.  Not rapidly, but over time.
The first thing that comes to mind is steak.  It used to be….. that I could not turn down a really good steak.  Now these days, I would prefer a tasty piece of fish.

There was a time that red was my favorite color.
Currently… it is blue, or green, or orange.  Even some purples.  But it depends.

I used to prefer cats.  I loved all things feline.  Today… give me a dog.  A dog day afternoon or a three dog night… or the tail that wags the dog.  But give me a dog.

How about numbers.  My favorites used to be seven, and eight.
Now my favorite numbers are seven, and eight.

Okay, that has never changed.

Popular culture has its fluctuations with me too. Thirty years ago, I liked those stupid goofy comedies.  And sappy romances.

Now I can hardly stand to watch either.  I like the “edge of your seat” thriller, scary, mystery, with a big plot twisting-heart pounding finish. But not gory.

Music stays fairly even with me… but it goes a little round and round.
Talking Heads, David Byrne, Talking Heads, David Byrne.  I love those Talking Heads and David Byrne.  Always have.

And the genres stay pretty even with me too.  I’m not a fan of country, acid rock, or rap.  But most anything else…. I’m in.  From Doris Day to Green Day.

Yet.  There are times when I really like someone in pop culture.  Then, I finally see that individual in an interview.  And once that happens, things turn cold.  I can hardly stand their music anymore.  Joni Mitchell is one.  I used to love her music.  Then, I heard a couple of interviews with her, and found that she’s a bit of an arrogant meanie.  I don’t like meanies.  Or arrogance.  So. All bets are off.

However, one thing that stays tried and true.  And that is my taste in people…. if I must say so myself.  I have great friends.  I mean, of the 511 friends here on Facebook… I would say there are 501 that I really like, love and care a great deal for.  Amazing, bright, and wonderful people.

Then there are…. like… the other 10 of you.  And you know who you are.   But just because you are a steak-loving, cat-fancying, dumb-comedy-watchers, who wear red clothes and like Joni Mitchell doing rap….   doesn’t mean that we still don’t have a chance of being friends…

You see…. I can be a real flake.  My tastes are changing all the time.

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.  — Margaret Mead

 For each mouth, a different soup.  —  Portuguese Proverb Quotes

Today, I met a box turtle.  His name is Lou the Box Turtle.  But the group of people I were with called him Lucky.  Specifically, because on the way to our meeting, one of the guys in the group saw this turtle crossing State Route 122.  So he stopped his car, and retrieved him.

Lou came with his new friend to the meeting.  He sat very politely, on our meeting table, in…. of all things….. a cardboard box.  I didn’t realize the irony until just this moment.

He was a nice turtle.  But mostly I just think he wished to be on his way.  Albeit, on his way….. slowly…..  and not very judiciously around traffic.   But he was probably hoping to get back home.  With the Mrs. or Mr…..  and all the little kid turtles.

Heck… it is Friday.   They were probably going to watch a movie tonight… like something with Shelley Winters in it…. or even Shelley Duval.  And later… have a special snack of Snails and Berries.

To digress.  Now that I think of it…….I was at a fancy restaurant once and had Snails with a Berry Sauce.  I should have asked to see the chef.

At any rate.  Box Turtles live to be 100 years old… in good conditions.  I don’t know how old Lou was… but he was moving pretty good…. even for a turtle.

As I reflect about my afternoon with Lou, I would say that we can probably learn a lot from the  box turtle.

Turtles are methodical.  Persistent.  Measured.  Even paced, resolute, and steady.
When danger comes, the turtle protects itself in a non-threatening way.
They are not on the offense, rather, they advance placidly.
And they are beautiful, in their own very unique way.

Those all seem like pretty good things to me… as we all try to navigate life.

I think tomorrow I’ll try to be more like a turtle.  And less like the hare.

Yeah.  Right.   It sounded good in theory.  But since I won’t take anything like a tranquilizer… it will probably never happen.

“It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” —J.K. Rowling

“Our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.” —Barbara Geraci

“Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.” —Malcolm Forbes

Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe.  Catch a tiger by the toe.

Holy smokes… the things we tell our children.

If he hollers, let him go.  Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe.

This troubled me greatly as a child.  First and foremost, I couldn’t even imagine what it would take to catch a tiger.  And then, on the off chance that I ever DID catch one…. what the crap would happen if he did NOT holler?  It all spelled big trouble to me.

As a sidebar….  I don’t eat Tiger meat.
To this day… I am not a hunter.  A carnivore… I AM indeed.  But I like to go to aisle 9 at Marsh Supermarket, and pick up any type of dead animals I plan on consuming…. right there in the meat department.  It is much neater that way… and I don’t have to look something in the eye before I ingest it.    But I am pretty sure these early childhood songs drove my dislike of hunting.

A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,
Heigh ho, the dairy-o, a hunting we will go!
A hunting we will go, a hunting we will go,
We’ll catch a fox and put him in a box,
And then we’ll let him go!

Again, the logistics of this were beyond me when I was five.  As was the reasoning.

Here’s another thing.  I know a lot of farmers in these parts.  Men and Women Farmers.  To this day… I am afraid of ALL you Farmer’s Wives out there.  Point in case…

Three blind mice, Three blind mice
See how they run, See how they run!

They all ran after
The farmer’s wife.
She cut off their tails
With a carving knife.

Chills.  Right down my spine.  The whole butcher knife thing is creepy.   I mean… those mice were BLIND for crying out loud.
Now they are blind AND physically impaired.

I am sure most people get over these things by the time they turn 12.  But not me.  I saw Peter Pan when I was eight.  And dag nab it.  I  guess I won’t grow up.  I won’t.

In some ways this may be a good thing.  And then again…  perhaps… this would explain an awful lot about me.

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.  –Plato

Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life. –Omar Khayyam