As I sat and watched my back yard, I noticed a squirrel who had taken up residence on my deer feeder. As I watched him pig out on a free meal while fighting off the flock of cardinals that usually eat there two words instantly came to mind. "My Precious!" It is in our nature sometimes to want to be in sole possession. Whether it is money, shiny baubles, love, or even just a friendship. We discover something good and jealously fight for it. Or we become envious of what others possess and want it for ourselves. This always ends in disaster and then we are left holding nothing wondering what went wrong. For in our driven jealously fueled desire, we take what is good and right and twist it and change into something else. Money is lost, shiny baubles tarnish, love turns sour, and friendships wither and fail. We have to sometimes step back and remember why something caught our interest in the first place and be willing to let others share in the same joy we had at this discovery. 

Window to the soul

One of the most awe inspiring sights is a sunrise on a calm cloudy morning. All dark and foreboding at first. Than a tiny sliver of light is seen. Soon another and another pierce the darkness. These small beams of hope put forth soft natural illumination on whatever they land upon. As the day breaks the clouds seem to lift and everything is brought into sharp focus. Everything is clean and bright and new. For one brief moment time seems to stand still and all you can do is stand in wonder. Like you are staring straight into the worlds soul. 

Taking a chance

As I stroll thru the woods tonight I noticed lots of small white flowers. Pretty from a distance but upon closer examination I was stung by the powerful stinging hairs of the bull nettle hidden behind the beauty. Many things in life are the same way. They appear bright and shiny and beautiful from a distance but once you get closer their true nature appears. The smart thing to do would be to always keep your distance and admire from afar. But by doing this you miss out on lots of the little things that would make life better. So do you stay safe and never take a chance on getting hurt? Or do you rush in and get over the pain in the quest to see what is worth seeing.

I took a walk today

I took a walk today as I am apt to do when my mind is troubled. My journey took me up and down the creek out back. As I walked, I noticed the changes that have been wrought by the recent flood waters. Here a tree is down, there a new hole has been washed exposing treasures awaiting discovery. And it occurred to me how life is just one big creek. We float along going with the current sometimes fast sometimes slow. But the one thing that is constant is that change is an absolute factor in our life.  You can fight it until it overwhelms you or you can bend to its will and go with the flow. Good and bad are a never ending cycle all you can do is to go with the flow and try and keep your head above water. Above all you should always try and look for the beauty in life along the way. Even if it is just a pretty rock.

Sitting on the creek bank of life

As I sit at the creek today fishing tackle in hand, I am reminded of past trips, other creeks. The first one to come to mind is Rio Bonito near Ruidoso New Mexico. While they are worlds apart in both location and temperament, the similarities are still there. Rio Bonito is where I went on while not my first but my first as an adult trip to New Mexico. It is also where I caught my very first rainbow trout. So long ago now, I can't even remember the date. But I remember the creek and the fish. I also caught my very first brook trout there as well. A tiny little creature no bigger than the finger on my hand. He was in a tiny pool in a tiny little stream of water shaded by a thick bush. I seen him not darting back and forth as most fish but regally swimming in his own little kingdom. I put forth a tiny little bit of metal, hair, and plastic not unlike the one I am using today. At first he royally ignored it but soon I was able to coax him into a strike. And the battle while small by normal standards was memorable. He put forth every once of strength he possessed to be rid of the hook. But soon I hand him to hand. As I briefly admired his beauty than gently placed him back in his water I never once thought that years later I would be able to recall this exact moment. That place is now destroyed. Destroyed by forest fire and the floods that followed. Filling the lake and river alike with trees and ash and mud awaiting the future. So the cycle of nature continues. Life followed by death followed by rebirth. I am also reminded of the Cimarron River in northern New Mexico. I visited there as part of a week long soul rejuvenating trip on my motorcycle. I packed fishing gear just for the chance to fish however briefly. I hooked my largest rainbow and my only brown trout there. While neither one of them would be much of a trophy to most, they are special to me. For it is not the size of the fish but the memory of the catch. And so life continues and I go here and there always on the go it seems. But for these brief moments of peace and tranquilly and pure focused thought I might be tempted to give up on the world. And so here I am sitting on the bank of a tiny little creek just hoping for a fish to bite.