Under a Bouquet of Peaking Hope

        Good Evening,
        Its been two weeks since I posted Wings for Alex, and I am overwhelmed by the tremendous response, (over 650 hits), that the poem received.  Hopefully, it has soothed and comforted those who knew Alex's wonderful mother, Kirsty.  Unfortunately, several other friends of mine lost their mothers during the last two weeks as well.  In all my life, I have never purchased so many sympathy cards at one time.  These sad losses hang around my shoulders as I struggle with making sense of it all.
        In addition, this past week I have been so busy with time consuming activities that have taken me away from MRF.  This morning, I woke up and finally looked forward to a day with no commitments that required me to watch the clock, rush through barn chores, change my clothes, and drive away in  the car.  It was heavenly to just stay at home.
       I spent most of the day in the saddle or on foot with the dogs and goats traversing the Adirondack woods, enhanced today by Nature's glory in an array of saffron, crimson, gold and evergreen.  From every vista a striking bouquet blazed below the gray sky and took my breath away.  In the company of my animals and while engaging with friends within this cornucopia of color I began to feel a sense of real peace.  Weary from contemplating the troubles of others I forced myself to seek the meaning of the moment; a moment accentuated by a crescendo of intense hues that will, in a short time, fade and fall.  With this awareness, I spent my day absorbing the experiences, living in the now and refusing to worry about what will be.

For more pictures of this beautiful day go to: Under a Bouquet of Peaking Hope   

Joshua's ears lead the way into autumn's spectacular splendor.

'Team Durkin', (Lynn and Tim) accompany me on Welby and Spirit for the first ride of  my day.

A morning mist concealed the mountain view behind Adirondack Woodcraft Camp's soccer field.

Lynn and Tim enjoyed the ride.

The dog and goat walk at noon was extra special today.

Nina loves the crunchy leaves.

Goaties stick close together.

The sandpit combines green grass left from summer with the autumn spectrum.

Tonde joined Nina, Niles and Hayden for a pose.

Never get tired of this activity.

For the afternoon excursion, I rode Lowtchee with Anastasia riding Makia, Matt riding Spirit and Vicky riding Tango.

The mist having lifted provided the perfect backdrop for picture taking.