STORMS HEADING OUR WAY

Country roads in our area are mostly gravel.  It's a real menace when it comes to getting one's vehicle covered with dust.  Meeting vehicles creates a cloud of dust that makes me close my eyes.  Yuck.  These same roads have small bridges crossing the Upper I River, and we crossed this one on our trolley the day before yesterday.....

Oh, man, do I wish we were still young and able to go canoeing.  We were water bugs, from small rivers to the Mighty Mississippi.  We canoed, we boated, we water skied.  My heart yearns to go kayaking, but I'd most likely break my neck by getting situated inside of it.  Maybe some night I'll have a dream of me kayaking and have to call that my kayaking adventure.

Peaceful is the word that comes to mind when I look at this photograph.  Humans are enjoying one another's company.  The scenery from where they are sitting in these canoes is breathtaking.  This is limestone bluff country, where nature's genuine beauty abounds.  

Seeing things we did when we were young is hard when we can no longer safely do them.  That's one part of aging that hurts me, anyway.  Going Up North to lake country was my/our heaven.  The old-time lake resorts have gotten beyond affordable, so they've been sold and mega homes built there.  Oh, there are still resorts, but not the homey cabin type that we liked.  Big bucks have replaced the lake resorts that required reservations a year ahead.  Yup, those were the best of times.  Lakes and rivers were havens for summer fun in the sun.

Wanted to share a photo that I just took of the bridal wreath bushes now in full bloom.  They, too, symbolize peace and contentment.....two rare commodities in today's societal arena.  Guess we each must carve out our tiny niches of nice places and dwell there.  There's a greater need, as I age, for categorizing things and people of the past.  Our importance to others lessens, anyway it has for me.  The older we get, the less important we are in the lives of others.  If we don't pursue a connection, there won't be any.  It's just like sending birthday cards or Christmas cards.  All one has to do is stop sending someone a card, and that person will no longer send you one.  Even our common courtesies have gone by the wayside.  I'm as guilty as anyone, because I've turned to sending my wishes via satellite vs. postman.  It's cheaper, quicker and easier.  Guilty as charged.

Sounds like severe weather is heading our way today.  Let's hope and pray that the sky will be kind to us.  Such pitiful destruction, just don't know how people recover from the ravaging tornado winds.  They lose their homes and their possessions, everything blown away in a matter of seconds.  The human spirit is resilient, but it should not have to endure such harsh testing. 

So much is beyond our understanding.  Why do we even try to crack the code of craziness that's everywhere in 2024?