HOLIDAYS ARE FOR RELAXING

Look for the woman on the dock in the above photo, she has a fishing pole in her hands. She has the place all to herself. I spotted this woman not to long ago, fishing leisurely along the Siuslaw river. She must be a dedicated fisher-woman I thought. So I walked down the long non-skid metal ramp in order to get a bit closer to her  -- hoping to get the "skinny" on why she was out near the river in a non-populated area. 

She told me that she just bought her fishing pole and was learning how to use it. It was a beautiful day and the river was calm so why not try it out. She was perfectly content as she plied the waters with her pole. 

Now, if you are wondering how to spend your holiday this weekend just try a relaxed approach like this woman. Find a hammock or a picnic table and make it simple. Walk a trail in the city or in a natural area and take your camera or a notebook and record your findings. Or just sit on a bench or rock in some quiet area and notice your surroundings. So many ways to have a good holiday without the rush, noise, and shoulder to shoulder people. Make it your own special holiday. Enjoy.

SIMPLE PLEASURES

My dog Sal and I have taken the day off from the busyness of life today. My schedule today has been simple meals, lots of coffee and tea, reading and watching nature from my small private back porch.

Nature parades down my hill in back, almost to my back door. Early this morning as I sat inside reading I heard the cries of a Red-tail hawk close by. I crept up to my back screen door, looked outside, and saw two Red-tails in my Grandmother Oak tree. Within minutes they sensed me, one took off majestically in one direction and the other in the opposite direction. 

Grandmother Oak's Arms

Right then and there I decided this was going to be my day off from the busyness of life - errands, shopping, talking on the phone, paying bills, etc. I sensed that my spirit needed to be with nature. So, I have spent the better part of my day relaxing in a chair on my back porch watching nature in action. I have drank coffee and tea -- more than I should. I have read parts of a Zen book, and read some of Animal Farm. Now at 5 pm I am on my computer writing this blog. I feel fortunate that I could spend this lovely fall day in this way. With all that goes on around the globe our country is fortunate - although, I feel there is a lot of room, on many levels, for civility. 

My surrounding woods

APPALACHIAN COUNTRY TRELLIS

Here is an Appalachian trellis that I saw in a yard this summer -- I figured it would be easy to make. Wood posts and long, twiggy, straight branches are all you need -- these have been debarked but one could leave the bark on. If you have access to  woods you could find branches and possibly the posts for this trellis. If you have a difficult time finding posts in the woods, try sawmills or lumber companies. A trellis with a nice simple country look for yards either in small towns or in the country. Or anywhere really.