"Those Quiet Places" by Rolly A. Chabot

Ever have one of those days where you yearn for peace and quiet of the solitude of times gone past. Welcome to my world this morning.

I think we are heading into another blazing hot day again, and the grass in the backyard is just starting to beg to be cut, and yes that half painted fence is staring me down. Yet I sit and just smile. Trust me I will get to you soon enough it is going to be another of those times... hot!

We have been sitting in the high nineties degrees Fahrenheit, or if you live in a strange country like Canada 30-35 degrees Celsius. I know we choose to be different. We even decided several years ago to drop things like the imperial system and go metric. To us old farts we are regularly still thinking in the old ways. When I look in the mirror, I see a square peg that someone is attempting to stuff into a round hole. Now there you go. You have a picture of me this morning.

Welcome to the "Fireless Fireside" this morning. Trust me you do not need one. As a matter of fact, the AC is blazing away in its place. Quigley is laying under my desk catching some of the cool air she can capture. I told her this morning she was getting a haircut in a few days and I swear she smiled. She loves to visit the groomer cause she gets to visit Misty the cat and Viva the groomer.

So welcome and lets just sit around and see where these two fingers lead us this morning. Help yourself to some goodies and anything you like to drink, The water cooler is working overtime these days. For the brave among us help yourselves to some coffee. It is Kicking Horse 454 dark roast, and it will sneak up and kick start you. Above all, welcome and please know that you are loved...

The good news is both the front and back decks are painted and looking much better. I started on the fence the other day. I was using an airless sprayer and the wind came up. It was just a breeze but within a few minutes the guy on the other end of the direction of the spray was covered in white freckles. Yes and with only my cut offs on.

I started doing something the other day which has always interested me. Making hand soap. It has always fascinated me when you go to a farmers market or a craft fair and you see people with their products. So the playing has started along with the research and so far I have come up with some interesting combinations and fragrances.

Life is good folks. All we need to do is open our minds and see where they take us. I was talking to an old buddy from the North the other day. Grant is a crusty sort of guy. Crafty in some ways. He has been playing around with rock polishing for several years. We chatted about this and that and he asked what I was doing and I mentioned making soap. I thought I would get a string of obscenities and several laughs but there was quiet. Finally he shares with me he has been secretly doing the same for years. I can tell there will be some recipes exchanged. The conclusion is we will only make the manly kind of soap. Stuff tat has some grit in it to scruff off the dirt men can get into. Ya I know you are asking. "What about us girls? Well maybe in time...

Come on guys give it a try. You know all those old bottles of after shave you have been saving. Well they work great. I found some Old Spice the other day and dumped it in along with some organic hand cleaner and it works great. Trust me all the white freckles were last seen heading south down the shower drain. Live on the edge and be brave enough to be bold. "What the heck make some soap...!

We have had a series of storms pass this year. Some just to the north and others to the south and thankfully not directly at us. This one was just south the other day. The center of this one was just starting to rotate and eventually touched down an hour from here. In its path it created some devastating hail which took out some crops.

Thankfully the funnel never developed into much. Still people keep their eye to the sky in this country this time of year. It is a good idea to have an emergency plan in place along with some supplies just in case. One can never tell.

This morning I have come across a few hubs in regards to the stress we face in our lives and it reminds of the need to do something for ourselves once in a while. The need to touch base with someone or something personal in our lives. For each of us it is something different. What ever it is that draws you to a place of peace and joy please take the time and spoil yourself.

My buddy here loves to run. She just goes like the wind in the open places when we go for walks. Why I think only because it fills her with joy. Does she have stress. I suppose especially when she may miss out on a treat or spending that special time with people she loves. As long as her people are close it is all she needs. Her domain is where she finds herself. We could learn much about joy from our furry friends. I watched her the other day chasing a butterfly as it floated and lifted through the air. The butterfly saw her as only an annoyance and yet to her it was an object of interest and she so loved attempting to make friends.

We can learn so much from them about love. Yes there are others whom she may have distaste for along the pathway during her daily walks. Maybe they are having a bad day, maybe it is just who they are but she tries. If they fail to respond well there is something else just ahead. Last week it was seven horses. A first for her and she was close to Dad. She reached as far as she dare and the two year old mare did the same. Both intently sniffing. Quigley's tail started to wag and the mare snorted. That was when the air exploded with the beating of 28 hooves from all the barking from that little hairball. With an extra bark to show she was tough she turned to an elderly couple on the path and gave them all the love they needed for that day. Now they are the best of friends. You see she loved them and they in turn love her right back. Could life be that simple.

Life as in nature affords us those rare moments when people and the wild creatures allow us to be close. Over the years I have had such moments in the far reaches of the wilderness and within a world increasingly populated it is hard to find. There is something magical happens when we are given the chance to be a part of another's life. In some cases it is but for a fleeting moment. Maybe it will last a few months or maybe years down the road. I have been thoroughly blessed over the years to have made some long lasting friendships with people that still stand as strong as ever some 35 and 40 years later.

I can learn much from people in a very short period of time. Maybe it is because of trust which is established quickly. Some turn away and look strangely at you when you even so much as smile. Get to know them and the stories and experiences in their lives can be painful or so very rich. I spoke with a friend just last night I have been chatting with for a few months and it was shared she suffered with what would normally be debilitating to most and yet she chooses to accept the pain and embrace life. What an inspiration to see. What she shared made me look at the struggle I have and they are but a small ripple in the pond in comparison. Choose the positive enough and the negatives will all slip away into a forgotten past.

Take the time today to look at your life and ask what is it that causes you stress and upset. Ask yourself what can I do to change it. Study all that is close to you and ask if it is something you can change. It is far to easy to end up in a rut in life and while we are there the rut gets deeper and harder to climb out of. It can become a grave eventually but always remember the rut is unlike the grave. it is open at both ends. Go ahead today and be like Quigley and do something that makes you feel special.

Like right now as my toe scratches her ear she knows she is loved and cared for. Do we not really need the same. Maybe someone to come along side and just run with us or just simply sit in the quiet of the day knowing we are loved. Hopefully it is what you feel as you rest here. That is my wish for you today that you find peace, love and joy and you are filled to overflowing.

Run like the wind or be like an eagle and soar. Know that you are all dearly loved...

© Rolly A. Chabot... All Rights Reserved and Monitored

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