Waitin' on the Storm

We had several days of thunderstorms. On the first day, I just couldn't sit still a moment longer while the storm rolled in. I'd watched it on my trusty radar, but it was time to go out and greet it. Armed with camera in hand, I went on to the northeast side of my old barn where the open stall faces north and east.

What better place to wait on a thunderstorm then outside with the horses? At rest in their large corner open sided stall, all three greeted me with soft nickers. After their friendly greetings subsided, they resumed their previous activities. Some were quietly snoozing, or quietly interacting with the movement of a head, cock of an ear, or nuzzled with me or my son. The youngest who always seems to be looking for food, even at rest habitually gently lipping at some remnent morsels left over from their morning meal. We sat with them and watched their peaceful behaviors, and listened to the distant rolling thunder near. Horses, for me fill just about every sense, and I enjoy teaching that to my children. So we sat there quietly and learned.

Reno's the baby of the band, and into everything...she'd ride a'top of me if she could. She's greenbroke, but she packs a saddle like a champ and is always the first to greet me at the gate when she hears the "clanging" of the halter & leadrope. Like a big dog, she's always curious and wants to follow us around to see what we're doing and how her big personality and self can fit into it and be part of our activity. She happily interacted with us when we waited on the storm, whether it was licking the floorboards of the barn, or steaming my camera lens as I tried taking pictures.

When people pay attention to the little "finite" things in their life, a whole new world of beauty unfolds before them. Sometimes one just needs to "sit still and listen".

Simple pleasures.

~Sonya

http://www.wildwindart.com/

Simple Pleasures

I'm a weather nut, the wilder and crazier it gets, the more I like it... considering there's not over-turned homes, missing people, or waters filling up in areas they don't belong. But along with the rest of what nature has to offer, I love the outdoors and all it's elements.... weather, being one of the most dramatic. Now add that into an amazing landscape, and it becomes almost mind-altering!

For days I've anticipated a thunderstorm in our area. Most of the storms are in eastern Oregon, up and over the Cascade Range from here. Many of the storms also tend to develop right above the mountains of the foothills I live in and they tend to move on up north from there. With great anticipation for meteorological events here, most of them just skirt by our homestead in our humble hills. But finally yesterday afternoon while I followed the weather tracking radar on my computer, part of the thunderstorm finally expanded enough to claim the little foothills, and I watched the cloud shadow slowly overtake us like a giant wing. Though not 'wild and crazy'... it was still a great experience and harmonious thunderstorm, nevertheless! The main activity stayed out in the mountains, but this time it was close enough to hear the rolling melody. Outdoors I went, without a look back.

The air was warm, still and sultry... as out to the pasture I fled. My 3 'over-grown puppies' came to see what I brought them, checking my pockets. I loved being out with the horses, nuzzled by giant lips, whiskers, and warm breaths on my cheeks, while listening to one of nature's beautiful ballads... the rolling thunder and it's echoes in the near and distant hills.

It's been overcast today, with some of the same conditions in play, and thunderstorms again in the forecast for later on. There's finite drizzle in the warm air and the mildest of breezes. We'll see what today brings. Simple pleasures.....

Sonya

http://www.wildwindart.com/