Saturday, January 28, 2012

Oops

Good Mornin'

Well, just a little frostier this mornin, but blue sky and sunshine on tap. See if I can make it to the trading post and back, catch up on the firewood, and, take a look at the paperwork, see if I'm ready for the bookkeeper.

Did get a stretch a fence finished, yesterday and laid a little more seed on the boys run, take advantage a the mud, left them tromp it in.

Otherwise, just tryin' ta be cool; ain't that a laugh! But, what I'm referring to is, the simple excitement of bein' alive, knowin' ya will go forward, and not havin' a clue how it'll all work.

Once, I heard they had pilots in some a these fancy fighter jets; the kind that hug the contours of the earth at ridiculous speed. The pilots, seemed ta me, had almost no control over the aircraft, but monitored the computers that flew the thing. Always struck me like an insane kinda job; a mountain comin' at ya 'bout a thousand miles an hour and you have no control. Ya wouldn't even have time ta say, "oops", if the computer had a glitch. I mean, a life might not mean much to some a these war mongers, but oughta be worth an "oops".

Anyway, it did make me laugh and consider, that life really is kinda similar, only way more graceful, steady and patient. But, control, I do believe it's an illusion, might lend itself to us on occasion, but, end of the day, illusion, none the less.

Maybe the only thing, resembles somethin' similar, is our choice, of cussin' or thankin', one that gave it to us.

Have a great day!

Best,

P.S. No disrespect to the brave sons and daughters, might put themselves in harms way, but can't help for wishin', we might think a little harder on where we place our trust.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Paint

Good Mornin'

And, a be you tea full spring mornin', it is! Barely froze last night; blue sky, sunshine and a brisk but springlike breeze from the West, Northwest.

Amazin' how so much can happen on the inside, and it all looks so "normal", on the outside. That whole notion, I brought up yesterday, of walkin' with the "sure", sans clue, how things "things" 'll work out, sure is an amazing consideration. Seems ta me, it's like paintin'; if you dip your brush in the red paint, what you paint is like ta turn out red. Walk with the certain and beautiful and you're like ta end up with the certainly beautiful; even if, time ta time, ya have to let go a some dearly held pictures of what beautiful might look like.

While I don't think I could ever accuse Creator of bein' linear, by any stretch, seems ta me, in the completely non linear scheme a things, there would have to be room for somethin' linear, otherwise it wouldn't be completely non linear. No wonder the saints all expressed their love for children, who, so often come up with completely genius stuff, that makes all the sense in the world, without makin' any sense whatsoever.

Kinda the, complete opposite a the stuff we come up with, like government and tax codes; makes no sense whatsoever, but ya listen to the folks that hold stock, long enough....,well, let me rephrase that. If you're willin' to do nothin' else but listen to the folks that buy it...., well, hold on a minute. Actually, it's most likely, that after centuries of endless repition and variations, of the same nonsense, that our very DNA is programmed to where, all it takes anymore, is a sound bite, and instantly, recalling the pain of generations, hopin' and tryin' to make sense a this stuff, our brains shut down, our heart crawls back in their caves and we vote, just so they'll leave us alone and go talk to each other, over there in DC, or wherever.

Anyway, God Bless the Children and Pray for the New Mayan Calendar; supposed ta be a corker!

Have a great day!

Best,

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Feelin' My Way

Good Mornin'

Well, frosty but clear and sunny. Recuperated some from my perdition of the other day; amazing how that works, goin' ta bed with a question or worry and somehow Creator responds and replenishes the heart with hope and courage.

Not that I have a specific answer, but once again, to feel the light and bright within, ignore the looming shadows without and proceed, trusting that there is a plan and a planner. Come to think of it, I did have a dream that night; crew member of a great ship. I remember walkin' around on board and noticin' all the different parts and pieces made the whole thing work and thinkin' to myself, how any one a these parts is a whole world of smaller parts and pieces and anyone, understood all of them, would have to be some kinda smart and some kinda dedicated. Then it dawned on me what a "real" captain was made of.

So, no sense gettin' all tore up pretendin' I'm at that level, but all kinda sense, hangin' with the one that is; bound to learn, bound to be amazed and bound to be inspired, by that kinda genius and love.

Sure am glad I thought ta write a little and I sure hope I make note a what was written; feels much better in the bright and sure.

Have a great day!

Best,

Monday, January 23, 2012

Cold Cash

Good Evenin'

I guess this is a poem:

I think we don't realize
What a very cold world
Money has made of us

Have a good nite, anyway!

Best,

Friday, January 20, 2012

Groceries

Good Evenin'

And, I survived my trip to the "big" city; got my groceries, went to the bank, ask about openin' an account for the book and helped my friend with their laundry. Really just kept 'em company and carried the bag out to the truck. Left at 1130, back by 330 and even got a money order pay my phone bill.

It's just once a month, but I sure do hate leavin' the critters and I sure am glad ta get home. Soon as the truck turns west on the dead end, comes up through the sage flats run along the divide and I can see the ridge, up north, runs up from the southwest, just behind camp, I start ta breath a little easier. That's just about half way home; ya get used ta seein' forty 'r fifty miles, every which way, out here.

Otherwise, the weathers holdin' pretty steady; mild and pretty dry, 'cept for the snow we got back in December, still meltin', little by little. Keep my fingers crossed, start kicking the bunch out some, make 'em scrounge a little; save the little hay we got left for the rogue storm, 'r two, we're still like ta get, 'fore spring.

Have a nice night!

Best,

Thursday, January 19, 2012

The Plunge

Good Evenin'

Well, after cryin' in my beer last night, 'bout paperwork and what have you, decided to take the plunge; sometimes I think all I got to do is see those little words, "give up" and my back goes up.

But, I did get the samples from the higher quality, short run printer and that sealed the deal, even if it does mean "paperwork". Ya know, the old sayin, "anything worth doin's, worth doin' right". Likely, my contrary nature, but in this day of "fast and cheap", put out somethin', a little slower and better'n I had to, well, it just makes me smile.

Course, now I gotta get on the horn and talk with the revenuers, see if they'll give me another chance, or if they just bound and determined, wipe me out. Couldn't blame 'em, really, but I do believe, I just could get back up. What a life!

Weather's been merciful, mild; man~ana, my grocery day in the BIG city, population almost toppin' 3000, nearly 40 miles from here. Say my prayers tonight.

Have a good one!

Best,

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Cowboys!

Good Evenin'

Well, been kinda dee linquent with the writin'; scratchin' my head on some book questions and thinkin' and writin' notes on that horse we might get down to the sanctuary, 'mong others. Many 'pologies.

I guess a bunch a stuff, just been stirrin' up questions, 'bout what I'm doin' and whether 'er not I should just give up and admit, "I'm too old!". 'Course that's outta the question, will ta live and love fer the ponies; I think sometimes, we just get impatient, lookin' fer answers, 'fore their time.

Do have an old friend, volunteered ta see, if he can help me through the log jam, iron out a few things; get me back on track. Maybe, that's what got me scared; even the thought a paperwork is plumb terrifyin', but I'll get over it. Kinda like computers; ya sit their lookin' at the thing and it gets scarier and scarier. Someone comes along shows ya a thing or two and it gets, way smaller.

I suppose that's why Creator didn't put us here alone; few of us are good at everything, but together we cover a lot of bases. And, I'll bite my tongue, so I don't go off on "good fer nothin'" cowboys; maybe we were put here make others feel better about themselves! See, now, that's good fer somethin'.

Have a great night.

Best,

Friday, January 6, 2012

Life's Afoot

Good Mornin'

Well, the mild weather is hangin' with us; curious but wonderful. And, it does have it's problematic side; the mares gettin' a jump on spring fever and tryin' some of my weaker fences, go visit the mustang boys. Really gives ya a sense of lifes determination ta go on.

This one big mare, Shahdee, she'll spend hours just starin' at the boys and her gaze seems ta work like a low flame on a coffee pot, just brewin' the boys to a thick, strong mix. Night 'fore last, she found a low spot and cleared it without a scratch; I spent the next few hours, runnin' around in the waxin' moonlight, puttin' up gates, throwin' hay, leadin' her back down to the low gate and restorin' some order and calm to the herd.

But, it is inspirin', what with the new year and such. Readin' another article, some one posted about the Mayan Calendar and the beginnin' of the "fifth cycle" of the sun; to them a time of rebirth and promise. Not without it's birthin' pains and forces opposed, but huge gallactic forces linin' up as if to launch us into a new era. And, I must say, I do feel somethin' like that goin' on within' myself. Tremendous inspiration to go on, with a deeper commitment to the genuine inside myself and aware of the voices callin' "reason" and compromise, all in the name of preservin' the "old status quo".

So, once again, the horses, in their own way, remindin' me ta be true ta my nature, human and ta believe, like that big mare clearin' that fence, that "I can", "I must", win or lose, 'cause life does go on and this is my chance; "in" or "out".

Have a great day!

Best,

Monday, January 2, 2012

Catch 22

Good Mornin'

Well, just goes ta show me, how, sometimes, ya start out with what seems ta be a good idea, and, turns out, it was a little more complicated than ya first thought.

It'd been some years, I'd been thinkin' ta write somethin', but gettin' older and never bein' too smart, I had trouble keepin' track of a story line. Then, noticin' how we can color a story, by the things we choose ta remember, the whole question of "fact or fiction" came up. So, number one, keep it simple, I figured if I just took pictures of what goes on in a day and put some little poems and stories in between, it might tell a story, little colored as I was able.

But, still I knew, ya couldn't, really call it true, 'cause, no doubt, it was my version a things and therefore, not the whole picture or necessarily true. So, I came up with the idea of usin' a pen name. I figured, "heck, if the author is ficticious, than I don't have ta answer the question, fact or fiction".

Then I suppose, there was a question, too, about privacy; I'm kinda partial to it. Likely, part a why I live in the middle a nowhere, and hang mostly with horses and dogs. Just in case my little book caught on, I really didn't wanta get famous; sometime folks see things in a book and figure the author is some kinda genius and wanta make him or her, some kinda "rock star", forgettin' that "genius, too, is in the eye a the beholder".

So, I come up with Jeune Bailey Hall. It just made me laugh, "Jeune" soundin' like a girls name, "Bailey and Hall", the maiden names a my two Grandmothers; I do live in Navajo Country and Navajos follow there families, by their mother's names. And, women seldom get the credit they deserve. That way I figured, I could write my little book and nobody'd come lookin' for me; sides "Jeune" means young in french and "young" is often synonymous with "foolish" and I figured that was about right!

This pen name also come in handy, when my friends tried ta get me on facebook, nervous and unsure, as I was about "the web" and privacy questions; facial recognition software and conspiracy theories. But, then there came a problem connectin' with friends, old and new; "exactly who was I?". I tried to be upfront, with old friends and most times with new, that Jeune was not my real name. Somehow, it had worked for Mark Twain, aka Sam Clemmons, and I always admired him and his wit.

So, case I dropped the ball and by no means wantin' to deceive, I figured I'd post this little article, as public notice.

Then, for anyone interested, it occurred to me, how this, too, was part of the gift of the book; if I tried to explain all the "magic and miracle" that swirled around it's comin' together, you'd never believe it. But, here's what I mean. We live in a day and age, where fact and fiction are all mixed up; lyin' and counterfeitin', everywhere. This has been a huge question for me, ever since I was little and first noticed the difference, 'tween horses and people; people often possessed of grand illusions of themselves and the world around them, horses not so much. And, now, the question is even gettin' larger; "reality tv", generally anything but, governments and politicians, lyin' through their teeth, computers and "virtual reality", corporations with "human rights", technolgy able to "simulate" just about anything and everything. No wonder people start worryin' about "alien lizards" able to transform themselves into people, posing as politicians! Really, some people believe this stuff.

And, so, here's my grand consideration of Jeune Bailey Hall; could he help us reconsider what's real and how do we "know"? One of my favorite quotes, from The Little Prince, by Antoine de St. Exupery, "one sees clearly, only with the heart; anything essential, invisible to the eye!". In this day and age of smoke and mirrors, hype and spin, I believe that this "seein' with the heart", could not be more important; in some way, you could say, a matter of life and death. And, I believe it can be cultivated.

I mean, how close do we need to get to where "science" can reproduce, almost anything, 'fore the question of "is it real?" just eats our whole lunch? But, truly, I believe, there is something about love, a way of seein' inside ourselves, that will not be deceived and this I can know.

So, don't be upset, if Jeune's not quite what ya thought. He was never meant to deceive, but, certain, had a question for all of us; "what is real and how do we know?". And, "if there is somethin' like seein', wouldn't that be a good thing, this day and age?".

If I called myself "Rutabaga", wouldn't mean a thing to my horse!

Have a great day!

Jeune, mostly.