Good morning!

"In the right light, at the right time, everything is extraordinary. " 

~Aaron Rose

After several days of rain, I was happy to see the sun return last week. 

Not that I wasn't grateful for the rain - it raised the level of our pond a couple of feet - but I much prefer starting my day with a gorgeous sunrise.

Here are a few of my favorite photos from my morning walks last week...

(juniper pollen buds ... waiting for just the right breeze to wreak havoc with my allergies!)

And of course Belle was right by my side. 

"In this holy moment before the day begins,

I turn to you, O Lord, and ask:

shape the words in my mouth,

the actions of my body, 

the thoughts of my mind.

Let everything that comes from me

reflect the light that comes from you.

Amen."

-        Patricia Leonard-Pasley

Feeling Reflective

"Did you ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"

  ~Winnie the Pooh

I guess it's only natural to become reflective at this time of year. 

Before the old year can pack its bags and hit the road, 

I usually start wondering about the next one 

and what surprises it will bring.

"All sorts of reflections of this nature passed through my mind—for as I grow older I regret to say that a detestable habit of thinking seems to be getting a hold of me..." 

~H. Rider Haggard, King Solomon's Mines

"A man is not idle because he is absorbed in thought.  There is a visible labor and there is an invisible labor."  

~Victor Hugo

"I am burdened with what the Buddhists call the 'monkey mind' -- the thoughts that swing from limb to limb, stopping only to scratch themselves, spit and howl." 

— Elizabeth Gilbert

I've been reflecting upon the fact that, 

while 2013 brought us some heartbreaking surprises, 

it also brought rains that filled our pond and the others in the Hollow 

higher than they've been in awhile, 

so I've decided to not hold any grudges.

I'm wishing all of you a happy 2014...or at least an end to any droughts you might be experiencing!