A Walk on The Ranch

Everything hurt.

I had driven 60 miles to photograph a meat market in town, bought a few recipe ingredients and photography supplies, drove back to the ranch, and then spent the rest of the day cooking, styling and writing. Towards the end of the session, I was tired, my bones ached, and I was more than a little frustrated that the none of the cloth napkins nor dish towels in my cupboard were white. Dingy, gray, shredded, stained, not even one was photo worthy. Mental storm clouds were gathering. Most of these linens had been around since I was a newlywed, and had been thoroughly used.

What’s the lesson here? I grumbled. (My mind veers off road when I’m tired. Way off.) Were all these nasty textiles sending me a cosmic message? After years of use, nothing is as white as it used to be…is that it? Was this some sort of dark humor allegory for middle age? Marriage? Ye Gods, have mercy and tell me what these dirty dishtowels are communicating!?!

Stop.

It was time for a walk. Oh yeah.

Afternoon walks are grand, and I walk every day for an hour. At the ranch, I walk with the dogs, my husband, or the boys, when they are here. Right now, the wildflowers are in bloom, so I decided to take my camera along to grab some pics.

Walking also helps clear my mind, which most days needs a complete power washing. I can deliberate on projects, (in order of must-do, should-do, and could-do), meditate on the current family crisis (some people call this prayer) or just enjoy the landscape, as I yell at my dogs to stop enjoying the landscape so much.

Here are a few pics from my walk. I encourage you to put down your reading device, and go out into the sunshine. Take the dogs, enjoy the landscape, and change your mental direction. The cosmic messages can’t find you when you are out walking.