Release and Renewal

Then, at the end of my walk

I came to the place

Where the waters meet the land,

Incessantly moving

In their restless quest

To reduce it to sand.

It was a place of peace

And the sound of birds

Permeated the light breeze,

Wafting scents of salt air,

Replacing the heat of day

With coolness of night.

Without shoes I paced

The damp, fine grains,

Soothing the tiredness

Which drained into the

Surging waters lapping

About my feet.

Cares, unwinding from

My shoulders and my heart,

Fell unbidden into

The frothy waves

To be carried away

And devoured.

Release became

Renewal.

Sometimes we just need to get away to a place that allows us to forget the cares of the day and the burdens of work.  We need to be renewed.  I'm not a fan of a hot sandy beach with the sun beating down, but to me, there is nothing more relaxing than walking along the shore as evening approaches, or early on a cool morning when there are few people about.  Very rarely have I had such experiences because I have lived my life far from the ocean, but the few I have are anchored in my mind in such a way that I can call them up and remember the peaceful feeling.

(Photo taken at Marco Island, Florida, a few years ago.) 

A Bigger View

Perhaps it is the cold, rainy weather we have experienced and expect to see more of, but it comes to mind that it would be nice to get away for awhile.  It isn't likely to happen any time soon, but it is an appealing thought.  I know my better half would be all on board as she has expressed similar sentiments in recent days.

It is fun to speculate on where to go, but it seems that either time, or financial considerations have a large influence on the decision.

If time and money were not an issue, there are lots of places I would like to go.  My first choice would be to spend some time on the British Isles.  I would like to spend a few weeks exploring England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales.  I suppose it is because I view them as the source of my genetic roots, but they also are the source of the political roots of our country which was founded and populated by large numbers of immigrants from those islands.  There is much history and beauty to be found there.

I also would like to spend time in Australia and New Zealand.  Having a language in common would make travel there easier, but I have always been drawn to Australia.  It might be the animals, or the vast stretches of wide-open spaces, but for some reason it has always held a mystique that is attractive to me.

To be quite honest, there are very few places in the world that I would not like to see.  I could spend years traveling to far off lands.  Some of them are still dangerous places, but at my age that is less of a fear than it once might have been.  I want to see how other people live.  I want to see the landscapes that I have viewed in books and on television.  I want to expand my view of the world.

The American people, for the most part, have a very narrow view of the world.  They see the U.S. as the center of everything and the only place of value.  Most people have little or no grasp of world history.  The existence of this nation is just a blip on the timeline of man's occupation of this planet.  I want a bigger view.  Travel is a good way to achieve it.

Mentally Escaping to a Resort -- or Two

Today's post is again inspired by the book of "300 Writing Prompts."  The question asked is: "If you could build your own vacation resort, what is one attraction you would definitely include?"

I can't really think of "one" attraction that would be above all others, but will instead describe the type of resort that I would build if money was no object.

It would be a corporate-type retreat set somewhere in northern New Mexico with a view of the open plains in one direction and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains behind.  It would have a huge lodge with a 5-star restaurant.  The bar would be out of some old west saloon and have a brass rail.  It would be entered through swinging doors such as are on the Palace bar in Prescott, Arizona.

Lodging would be in cabins of various sizes.  Some would accommodate larger groups while others would be designed for 1 or 2 people.  All would have fireplaces of river rock.  All would contain modern conveniences.

There would be trout streams in which to fish as well as a couple of lakes.  I would have a stable of horses and mules for trail rides, or for more extended pack trips into the wilderness.  It would also be a working ranch and the cattle would dot the plains that stretched to the horizon.

Hidden behind nearby hills, but only a short distance from the lodge, would be an airstrip.  All arrivals would be picked up at the strip by horse and buggy for the ride to the lodge.  Anyone who arrived by automobile would park at the airstrip and also be carried to the lodge by horse and buggy.  No motorized vehicles would be obvious anywhere on the place.  Deliveries to the lodge would arrive by a back entrance hidden from sight.

There would be a sporting clays course as well as a rifle and pistol range.  Hunting trips would occur in season.  There would not be a golf course or, swimming pool.

In the lodge would be an area with pool tables.  On the weekends would be live music featuring acoustic instrumentation.  With prior arrangement, groups could experience chuckwagon cooking in an isolated area near the lodge.

I know there are places very much like I describe.  I've never been to one, but always thought it would be great.  Such experiences are expensive and always beyond what I felt was prudent to spend.  Since the question is hypothetical anyway, I figure one might as well dream big.  While I'm at it, I think I'll include a 2nd resort.

My "other" resort would be in Belize on the coast.  It would include a private dock, private beaches and world class fishing.  Sigh, another one out of reach....

The Return

Vacations
Are a time
Where we spend
Days getting our minds
Off of work
Only to find
That when we finally
Forget about work
It's time to go back.

Vacations
Are a time
Where we spend
A lot of energy having fun
Only to find
We must return to work
To recover
From all the effort
We put into relaxing.

Vacations
Are a time
Where we leave
The work to be done
By others
Only to find
That it piled up
While we were gone
And awaits our return.

Mountains and History

Raton Pass,
Trinidad,
Coal mines,
Purgatorie River,
Bosque de Oso,
Oil wells,
Stonewall,
Monument Lake,
Cucharras Pass,
Cordova Pass,
Spanish Peaks,
Adobe,
Santa Fe Trail,
Kit Carson,
Charles Bent,
Lucien Maxwell,
Doc Holiday,
Bat Masterson,
Wyatt Earp,
Matador Ranch,
Prairie Land and Cattle,
Mexican Food,
Vermejo Park,
Elk.
The things of this day.

The Land of Enchantment

Howdy from the Land of Enchantment! Brief showers cooled things off nicely yesterday afternoon here in the mountains. It is beautiful.

Mostly yesterday we just drove around looking. We saw a black bear cub, around 150 elk, a coyote, mule deer, and countless antelope. There were even pelicans at the Maxwell Wildlife Refuge.

Today we're heading up into southern Colorado. Basically we're just scouting around to see what we can find. I enjoy the history and my spouse enjoys the shopping. We both enjoy the wildlife. So, I guess we'll see what turns up.

Half Over

My week off is half over and I don't know where the first half went! I've managed to accomplish a few minor projects -- well they were minor to accomplish but a couple of them were very important. I have a couple of long rows of young trees that have not needed supplemental water until this week. The drip lines that I have to irrigate them were in need of repair. One was hit by the neighbor who got a little ambitious with his tractor and shredder and in a different place was hit by a rototiller. The other one was chewed in two by rabbits. Both of them had several broken emitters. I got both of them repaired and in good working order.

The blast furnace was in full force this afternoon. Our temperature topped out at about 101 degrees today and the wind was blowing over 30 mph at times. We went from a beautiful cool, wet summer to a blazing inferno in the past few days. The temperatures are normal for this time of year but they usually are not accompanied by such strong winds. By mid-September it will cool down again. I told someone earlier today that I thought I would invest in a train load of iron ore. I could pile it in the pasture and it would be smelted by the end of the day!

This country has beautiful weather for about 10 months of the year. Those other two months give us a bad reputation though. We usually have one bitterly cold month in the winter and one extremely hot month in the summer. The rest of the year usually isn't too bad. In fact, our average annual high temperature is 72 degrees -- the "ideal" temperature. It's the range that gets you. Fortunately we typically have low humidity.

I plan on golfing tomorrow. It's something that I make it a point to do at least once each year. I wonder if that's why I'm not any good at it. My son likes to golf. This will be a family golfing adventure. I hope I don't hurt anyone!

Retirement???

I'm taking a few days off this week and just being a bum -- well that's probably not an accurate description. I wonder if this is what retirement feels like. Yesterday I worked on a couple of minor projects, did some mowing, bought some parts for a repair job this morning, and then just "piddled" around the house. I played the guitar and the fiddle some and read and took a nap. This morning I got up and completed the repair job that I bought parts for yesterday and then mowed and edged the lawn. I plan on relaxing the rest of the day. I may read, nap, or blog....

Tomorrow I may take on another minor project and then I plan on golfing on Thursday morning. I'm not much of a golfer but it can be enjoyable occasionally. This weekend my son is traveling to Midland, Texas, to "Rock the Desert" which is a 2-plus day Christian music festival. While he is in Midland, my spouse and I plan on heading up to Raton, New Mexico, for the weekend. We've not spent much time in that part of New Mexico. It is usually just an area we pass through on our way elsewhere. I've heard there's some good fishing in the area and I plan on scouting it out. Mainly though, we just plan on relaxing for a couple of days.

Raton is probably the nearest point from us to the mountains. It's only about 3 1/2 hours drive from here. That's not bad. It is close enough that we someday might want to build a small cabin getaway. You never know.

We are expecting high temperatures of 100 degrees or more for the rest of the week. Any projects will need to be done in the mornings and the afternoons will be better spent indoors. I've had my share of working out in the hot sun and wind. If I can avoid it, I will.

Retirement is something
We all work toward
Although it is a point that I think is misnamed.
It is really a time of self reward
Where we decide that it's our time to choose

Just what it is we do each day
Rather than punching someone else's clock.
For many people it is a time to quit
But for others it's opportunity's knock
That starts them on the path

Of their own choosing rather than
Jumping at the whim of a boss.
It is a time to enjoy what you've worked to acquire
Or you will be at a loss
And slowly drift into the nursing home.

I look forward to the change that is signaled
By what we call retirement
Although I will never stop working or
Achieving because I believe we are meant
To be productive as long as we are able.

A Pair of Sixes From Texas

I've been tagged (sigh) by Janie over at Sounding Forth. This one is a little different so I'll play along -- thanks Janie...

The rules..."to find out from as many bloggers as possible just where they'd like to be in the state of Texas if they could choose A Dozen Places. Six of those would be places they've been before; six would be places they've never been."

Six places in Texas where I have been and would like to be right now...

1) Port Aransas fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
2) San Antonio on the River Walk relaxing at an outdoor cafe.
3) Lake Texhoma fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
4) San Antonio on the River Walk relaxing at an outdoor cafe (different cafe).
5) Possum Kingdom Lake fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
6) San Antonio on the River Walk relaxing at an outdoor cafe (yet again, a different cafe).

Six places in Texas where I have never been and would like to go...

1) Toledo Bend Reservoir fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
2) Lake Fork fishing -- although this time of year it's a bit warm.
3) Running the rapids through Santa Elena Canyon in the Big Bend -- although it's a whole lot too warm this time of year.
4) Hunting mule deer in the Davis Mountains of far West Texas -- wrong time of year.
5) Whitewing dove hunting in McAllen -- wrong time of year.
6) Hiking the Devil's Canyon in southwest Texas -- it is waaaaaaay too hot this time of year!

I guess you can tell that my mind is not on work. In fact, I'm taking next week off.

Part of this Meme is to tag six others to post. I'm not going to do that -- sorry Janie -- but I would encourage all of y'all from Texas, or anywhere else for that matter, to take it upon yourself to post your pair-of-sixes. (Visions of dice and six-guns just popped into my head.) If you do post, put something in the comments here and provide a link back -- it would be appreciated. Y'all Texans especially need to keep this going. A little promo for the Lone Star State is always a good thing. You know there's only two kinds of people in the world -- Texans and those who wish they were.

Back to Work Tomorrow

The hardest part of vacation
Is going back to work
And that's exactly what I've got to do.
So, even if my mind is still
Somewhere in South Texas
And yeah, on deep sea fishing too,
I've got to put those things behind
And focus on the job
Because tomorrow it's back to work once more.
I've got to make a trip
Up into Southwest Kansas
And the driving up will be a boring chore
In which I'm sure my mind will wander
Back out to the Gulf
Where I'll think of hooking to a big ol' fish
Out on the peaceful ocean
With the waves gently lapping
Is quite likely just exactly what I'll wish.
But maybe by the time
That I reach my destination
The readjustment will have taken place
So that I'm geared and ready
For the task that is at hand
That tonight I just don't want to face.
But, come to think about it
I guess that I'm already
Partially back on track to do the job
Just look here at the subject
That was chosen for my entry
For the last day of vacation to my blog!