tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71026827932167801072024-02-19T08:10:21.748-06:00Panhandle Poetry and Other ThoughtsWhatever comes to mind....
(All rights to the contents of this blog are retained by the author. Please e-mail me if you'd like permission to utilize any of my work.)Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.comBlogger1379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-45568374292541112192021-09-03T08:12:00.001-05:002021-09-03T08:12:13.087-05:00Fall Calf "Look, over yonder,Close to the treeline,Do you see that little dark spot in the grass?It looks to me like some cowJust had a new calf!I'll bet its legs are still wobblyAnd its Momma ain't farBut, let's ride on overTo make sure it's fineThis baby's the first; at the head of the line!Why, look there;She's several days old!Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-21587574336301451292021-09-02T14:00:00.001-05:002021-09-02T14:00:58.668-05:00Solar Powered As the early morning light greets my journey, I am struck by the fact that the sloshing liquidstored in the passing train holds the same energy as the refracting light of the dawn.Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-92223421093288369722021-08-26T08:09:00.006-05:002021-08-26T08:09:52.385-05:00From the Top The road is often rockyAs to the heights we climbBut, the view from on the mountaintopIs often quite sublime.Sometimes you have to climb to the top of the mountain to see clearly what you have traveled through. But, if you don't make it to the top, what do you do? Make the most of the climb. You never know what you might see or, experience along the way.The photo above is Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-3859226141729688102021-08-25T13:30:00.000-05:002021-08-25T13:30:31.778-05:00Symbol of a Bygone Time I know this is not the first time I've led off with the photograph of a Longhorn. They are picturesque critters and I enjoy seeing the colorful beasts in the pasture. This one is in fact a Corriente Cross cow and not a pure Longhorn -- whatever such might be.Painted and splashed with colors galoreShe grazes the Great Southern PlainsNot know how symbolic she standsOf an era Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-61157306292206444612021-08-24T08:58:00.004-05:002021-08-24T14:59:58.116-05:00InspirationWe must first still ourThoughts,Mind,Body, Until in quiet contemplation,InspirationLights gently upon our conciousness,Preparing to burst forthIn the brilliant colors of action.Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-67637172466591320932021-08-23T16:21:00.004-05:002021-08-23T16:21:36.300-05:00HoofprintsIt has been awhile since I left any tracks upon this page.The past year hasn't been one to inspire much creativity.Maybe I should ask,"What has inspired you this past year?"Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-85325461444161745262020-07-04T21:20:00.000-05:002020-07-04T21:20:59.393-05:00Freedom We decided to celebrate Independence Day with a road trip to see how folks were dealing with “these trying times” as we so frequently hear on television. The answer is that in our part of rural America most people just want to get on with life. Yes, there were masks, there were stores with signs saying, “Closed indefinitely due to COVID-19” and there were people who politely put on their masks Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-89959394070234167982020-03-26T17:12:00.000-05:002020-03-26T17:12:16.943-05:00Pandemics, Power and People
As a few of you might have noticed, I took a break from posting. I suppose you could say I have been socially distant in this particular medium.
Social distancing is really nothing new for me; I am perfectly happy where there are few people and far horizons. I've even been told that I am sometimes socially distant in a crowded room. Oh, well.
This SARS-CoV-19 global Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-5051025918426194572020-02-19T06:00:00.000-06:002020-02-19T06:00:02.997-06:00"Group Think" for the Machine
"I'm sure there's a good reason we are all standing here looking at the gate, but I can't for the life of me figure out what it might be!"
That's what I thought when I saw this picture from a few years ago -- that's what's going through at least one of those cow's heads -- or, it would if they could reason. It brought to mind "group think."
We all know about "group think." It Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-1396231726166938552020-02-18T06:00:00.000-06:002020-02-18T16:29:11.907-06:00Billionaire Candidates and Agricultural Ignorance
This is from a few years ago and is among my favorite images. I find it interesting how the curiosity is strong on both sides of the fence.
Agriculture is something that is little appreciated by most people these days. Social media has been completely crazy with how one of the current Presidential candidates gave a speech a few years ago to a group of highly educated, Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-2796519764698452362020-02-17T06:34:00.000-06:002020-02-17T06:34:39.385-06:00Each Day New
As I stand and look on high
To pathways etched against the sky
I know there is yet room to grow
And so much more that I could know.
Although I've traveled many miles
Through years of troubles, tears and trials
There is so much left to do,
As if I've started over new,
Each day, beginning, once again,
No different now than it was when
My years were young and I was strong,
To climb Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-19201963506416764222020-02-16T06:44:00.000-06:002020-02-16T06:44:19.706-06:00Habits
It seems no matter how you try
To cultivate the fields
There will be things that do take root
And take away from yields.
They come from out of nowhere,
To pop up now and then,
You must be ever vigilant
And clear them out again.
I'm speaking of bad habits
That into your life do creep;
They sink their roots unnoticed
And rob you like a thief.
Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-34671491454352035222020-02-15T06:59:00.001-06:002020-02-15T06:59:36.421-06:00Fox Squirrel
Way up in the greening trees,
Caressed by a light spring breeze,
The fox squirrel sits upon a branch
As if he was in a deep trance.
My searching lens locks onto him
There upon his lofty limb
With acorn locked between his teeth
And me there on the ground beneath.
He thinks I don't see him there
So still, way up in the air
Behind that tiny little twig
Where, to me, he looks mighty Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-36519806640668709292020-02-14T06:47:00.001-06:002020-02-14T06:47:42.239-06:00Valentines Day
The azaleas aren't blooming yet, but they will be in a few short weeks. I figured flowers were appropriate for the day though, so I dug out this image from a few years back of some of the azaleas at our home. We have them along the front and along a section of the back of our house. They bloom in groups and are quite a sight if you enjoy such.
So, with that I will say, HAPPYChris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-25450209918713879882020-02-13T06:00:00.000-06:002020-02-13T06:00:06.188-06:00Consumed by Flames
If you look closely at the image of the fire you might see the Flame Monster looking off to the right. That was random, I'll admit, but it just popped out at me when I posted the picture. Do you see it?
What is it about fire that mesmerizes us? I can sit and look at a fire for long periods and it is relaxing. How can something so destructive be relaxing? I Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-90600859394850243672020-02-12T06:00:00.000-06:002020-02-12T06:00:00.192-06:00A Loose Grouping?
Sometimes what we think we see is not exactly the reality of the situation. Take the above image for example; it looks like some loosely grouped arrows in the end of a hay bale. The reality is that there were 3 ribbons attached by a nail at the top and fluttering in the wind. Five arrows were shot -- the first 3 at the point where the ribbons were attached and the next two atChris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-83323720780676361482020-02-10T06:29:00.002-06:002020-02-10T06:29:49.044-06:00Space to Think
When something's eating on my mind
And just won't go away,
I can't seem to let go of it,
It's there throughout the day.
It affects my mood, makes me a grouch
But, it's nothing that you said,
It's whatever this crazy thing is
That dwells there in my head.
Don't take it personally, just give me space,
I'll work it to the bone
But, the best advice I can give to you
Is just leave Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-85065158232697700392020-02-09T06:41:00.001-06:002020-02-09T06:41:23.876-06:00In the Moment
Be present in the moment,
Set all else aside,
All the weight upon your shoulders
Will soon slide
Into the waters.
Be present in the moment,
Leave cares for another day,
Focus on the task at hand;
You will see the way
Across the waters.
Be present in the moment,
Focus on the now,
Let time fade all around you
When you don't know how
To face the waters.
Be present in the Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-9958005815876887642020-02-08T06:58:00.001-06:002020-02-08T06:58:36.509-06:00Bull Haulers
Sometimes I just hunt through the images stored on my computer until I come across one that catches my attention. This is from when we bought a load of heifers and had them shipped in, but it made me think of shipping time and sending calves to wheat pasture, or the feed yard.
Shipping time;
Bawling calves;
Dust cloud;
Diesel roar;
Headed west;
Time for rest.
"Bull Haulers" Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-60273261745916183492020-02-07T06:29:00.001-06:002020-02-07T06:29:42.581-06:00Spring is Coming
A splash of color caught my eye
As it was drawn on high
To a place among the branches
O'er my head
Where sat a Cardinal,
In all his regal glory,
On a crisp, cold day.
Although it was the depth of winter,
Thoughts of spring
Flooded my mind
And my spirit was lifted
Knowing that the buds would soon appear
And the chill grays
Would soon be memory.
Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-50342255099012863192020-02-06T06:34:00.001-06:002020-02-06T06:34:55.363-06:00Keep Your Focus
When you're balanced on a wire
And it's a long way to the ground
You look and see that there
Is not a net to be found.
What can you do but keep on going
Straight ahead just as you've been?
What put you up there on the wire
You don't want to do again.
Don't think about the problems
Or, what will happen if you fall,
Just focus on the road ahead
And you'll defeat them all.
Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-23361019579777644232020-02-05T07:05:00.002-06:002020-02-05T07:05:25.836-06:00Controversy and Politics
Yesterday's post apparently got more people's attention than normal. It seems that controversial subjects draw folks like flies are drawn to a rotting carcass. I probably have images of a rotting carcass somewhere on this computer, but I figured it best to put something more symbolic at the top, such as this post. It's a crooked post -- at least from this angle -- but, I Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-2254974413203355592020-02-04T07:03:00.001-06:002020-02-04T07:03:47.899-06:00Halftime Confusion
For some reason this photo of our Redbone Coonhound made me think of the half-time show of the Super Bowl. I'll leave it to you to speculate why.
It was not a show that appealed to my taste; it was reminiscent of what one might expect at Carnivale in Rio de Janeiro -- which fits when you think about it. You had a couple of Latina performers in a carnival atmosphere doing what theyChris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-32661921858086924542020-02-03T06:48:00.002-06:002020-02-03T06:48:49.170-06:00Conforming or Non-conforming?
When we are young it seems we try our best to fit in. We want to do what everyone else is doing. We want to wear the same clothes, have the same shoes and go to the same places. It isn't so much a matter of conformity as it is a matter of "fitting in" with your contemporaries.
As we age those same urges apply but, the instinct driving them may be slightly different. Chris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7102682793216780107.post-32179938372855408462020-02-02T07:03:00.002-06:002020-02-02T07:03:37.168-06:00What Would You Do?
If you had a billion dollars,
Tell me, what would you do?
Would you head off down a rabbit hole
And buy everything new?
Some folks I know would buy more cows
Or, maybe another farm;
Some would buy a fancy car
And head to some place warm.
Me, I'd buy a brand new jeep
And a cabin in the woods
Near a stream with trout and bugling elk
And stock it with lots of foods
Then I'd getChris McClure aka Panhandle Poethttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18276465051258888541noreply@blogger.com0