sweet late summer moments

post #350
        Here in northeastern Kentucky, we are cutting the hay fields again, preparing for the annual 4H competition in Sandy Hook, and settling in to schools and a new year at Morehead State University. This means traffic once again in Morehead, but also lots of positive energy.
        I shared the eclipse with my daughter and family. Nice! They had hosted friends overnight who were driving to Nashville from Massachusetts for the event -- with two young kids and a big old dog. 
        I have several recent favorite photos. I'm looking forward to sharing some here, and some in two weeks. (Next week I plan to have photos from the county's 4H event this Thursday.)

       

on the way to my current house from my former house

Every year I am fascinated by hay making patterns -- and the agility of the equipment.

the back of Jean/Jonathan's barn

the new colt

LONG LEGS!!

Jean's been working in the beans.....

one of my favorites -- Jean with loyal friend

eclipse preparations, on the gravel pile, why not

Well, when will this thing really begin!!

PROGRESS

Even Rebecca makes it home from work in time. What a hot day, briefly noticeably though minimally cooled by the moon's passage!

         But my favorite photo of the week came during a peach of a visit Thea and I made in search of some of fresh eggs. Note: when Thea has a haircut, her hair first has to be straightened. But all the curls return after the next swim or hairwash. As for smiles, I'm always gladdened to see both these wonderful ones.

nearby: walks, neighbors, my pond and Clyde's apples

post #349
        Time for a little catching up, before tomorrow's eclipse, though I don't plan to take photos. Surely there'll be enough. I look forward to being present, sharing the experience with my son-in-law and my granddaughter on a quiet open area on a hillside above their home.

        OK, first photo. I had a good visit with Jean last week, and food (!), and a new view from her kitchen table of that barn that's being repaired:

      This second photo is of Gary and his grandson who was visiting from West Virginia. They stopped by on the four wheeler! Their visit was an unexpected treat:

       My daughter and I went to Clyde's to show him some photos I took this spring of his apple orchard. This was my best photo of what's going on there now: winesaps on their way to being totally ripe. I get to return there soon since Clyde had to be in the next county helping his son with a building project by the time we arrived.

     Now some photos from the evening walks I've been taking near where I live. The woods feel different here than where I used to live, four miles away. Now I pass fields and more fields:

a quiet, secluded cemetery along the way

        I wish everyone a safe day tomorrow, with no eye damage.  We're not in totality, but we're scheduled to be free of clouds. Neighbors here drove south to Tennessee yesterday to do it right! I'm happy for them.  
       I want to give a shout-out to all the scientists who love their work and who are so excited about this eclipse. The obvious question today is that since we seem to have no problem trusting scientists for the research about the universe, why is there any question about doing research about the earth's climate!  Anyway, thank goodness for our dedicated scientists. And for curiosity.

my peaceful pond

     One last photo, from this summer's cousin camp here -- Audrey in orbit.....around a son.....

Sideway Gallery

post #348
         Last week's post had words about my visit to Hiroshima almost 50 years ago. I expressed my total conviction that nuclear weapons should never, ever be used again. And the very next day I read about some loose talk and threats by the person elected to be an American president. He seemed to be shooting off his mouth without really knowing what he was talking about. By the weekend he was doing the same thing about a far right rally in Virginia that turned to actual violence. Not at all an encouraging week. I write this for the folks in other countries who regularly read my posts; please know more and more of us will continue to persist in calling these actions out for what they are -- in addition to being obviously dangerous. The dream of democracy includes being determined.

       I do want to share some photos of my gallery -- called Sideway Gallery because I'm located on Sideway Road. I'm away from there at the moment, without the cord to plug in my eight year old laptop, so I'll go directly to photos.  That way at least there's something to show today! I'm fortunate to be able to keep my gallery and still have room to live there as well. At least I am going to give it a try!

the view of my place along Sideway Road, on the left driving in

the mail box for Sideway Gallery

gallery atmospheric, from across Sideway Road

atmospheric, looking down the driveway from the deck

inside the front door, the living room half of the front room, and some of the kitchen

part of the gallery half of the front room

my photos on the "living room" wall

 News on the ridge:

a colt's first day, before the barn is ready, but all seems well

peace on the pond

More details next week, with my sincere thanks to all who work for peace in our world.

Hiroshima Day, and the bush hogging day last week

post #347
       In my twenties, I traveled to Japan. I flew there from the Navy base in Kodiak, Alaska, while my Coast Guard husband would be gone a month in the Bering Sea on their trusty ice-breaker, the Storis.  I found the food, the customs, the scenery all so worth the trip. In addition, by miracle and by chance, I overlapped in Tokyo with Kesaya, a close family friend from New Hampshire who had recently decided to stay with Japanese relatives for the year. So, for the first few nights I stayed in a youth hostel, where I learned on the first day how to eat a fried egg with chop-sticks by watching how all the other youth hostelers did it. Then I moved to where Kesaya was living, with her aunt and uncle, and I learned a great deal more. I even had the priviledge of being part of a tea ceremony, since Kesaya's aunt gave lessons in their home. This was in the late sixties, so Japan was not then as affluent and urban as it has become.
        Eventually I headed out for some travel on my own, which is why I'm now sharing this story. Along with Buddhist temples, intimate gardens, and trains with magnificant views, I visited Hiroshima, where we Americans dropped that atomic bomb 72 years ago today.  I visited what was then the very rudimentary museum, in one of the few buildings left standing, and I stayed with Quakers at the small world peace center there.  It came to me that all my life I had wanted to go there, to pay homage to all the people who died and who have suffered every day since that terrible event. Being there was like having a door open to my feelings and the hurt I had been carrying for the world.
         I for one can not for the life of me and of those I love been able to accept that nuclear weapons should be allowed on this earth. I know President Truman justified the timing of the bomb to speed the end of our war with Japan, but it can't be allowed to happen ever again. Did we learn nothing from that devastation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the civilian population? How can we ever justify again the use of even a single nuclear weapon!
          Dropping a nuclear bomb -- a small one by today's standards -- was a very bad, terrible idea back then. It's an even worse idea now. Remembering this day every year doesn't seem like that much to do under the circumstances. I pray for leaders capable of caring about the peace in all places. Thank you, President Obama, for going to Hiroshima in 2015 to acknowledge the reality of our history with this place.

         Here is a link to some photos of Hiroshima soon after the bomb and the same locations today. 

        Meanwhile, back in rural eastern Kentucky, last week, what few fields we have finally got bush hogged. Usually a neighbor mows those several acres yearly for the hay, but it turned out he was unable to do that this year. Instead Wayne, a kind soul and mowing ace, came with his tractor to beat back the high weeds that were taking over. I want to share a few photos I couldn't help making while he was working. I loved seeing the land re-emerge from its overgrowth while I stood where I could watch it happen. Because he warned me it's not a good idea to get too close to a mowing tractor, in case some rock or branch would fly out and do me in, I had to keep me and my camera at a safe distance. So here's some of what I saw:

FIRST FIELD, where usually we would get hay:

shorn section

half shorn section

 FROM MY SEAT ON THE PORCH:

Where's that noisy wren!?

reminders of the recent Cousin Camp

well, adorned

 SECOND FIELD, which wasn't cut last year either:

WAYNE AT WORK -- thank you!! 

THIRD FIELD, really just a hillside with perpetually poor soil, on the other side of the driveway:

  MOWING FINISHED, leaving, and luckily no one was driving down the driveway:

       The fields are already growing back, but we can now see the lay of the land. If the fields aren't mowed, they soon turn into forests. The openness also increases fire safety for the house the fields surround.  Another day in the life of, as we say.... 
         I will soon have done these posts for 7 years, once a week. I sometimes amaze even myself!!! Next week I plan to post the current state of my gallery, inside and out.