Tag: quote

Looking Back Quote

There seems to be a rift in how people feel about looking back on their lives. Some folks say that we can’t move forward while looking back; others say that it can give us insight into a bigger picture of ourselves.

For me, I think looking back (in moderation) is a good thing. For example, looking back on some of my earliest posts teaches me how not to write–and that brings me to today’s quote by Jack Paar:

“Looking back, my life seems

like one long obstacle race,

with me as the chief obstacle.”

–Photo by me

Thoreau Quote

There is much to be said about the benefits of a walk in the woods. It can change the way we feel, improve our health, and lifts our spirits. In fact, there’s so much I could say about it, I’m going to cut right through to the heart of the matter with a succinct quote about it by Henry David Thoreau:

“I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.”

–Photo by me

Mark Twain Quote

I was planning on waiting till tomorrow for a walk in the woods, when this current cold snap is predicted to be over, but with 14 months of sobriety under my belt, it’s important to keep myself busy every day, so I pulled on the ol’ long johns, bundled up good, and headed out.

I found a well traveled deer trail and followed it into the frosty forest. It wasn’t long before I came upon this juvenile eagle high up in a dead tree. By the amount of white on his head, I’d say he’s about 3 years old, with another year or so to go before he’s an adult.

That puts him at the annoying teenager stage. It’s easy to tell because not only is his head turning white, but he’s got that smart-ass smirk on his can-opener beak and that know-it-all look in his eyes, so prevalent in teens. It reminds me of Mark Twain’s words on the subject:

“When I was a boy of 14,

my father was so ignorant,

I could hardly stand to

have the old man around.

But when I got to be 21,

I was astonished at how much

he had learned in 7 years.”

–Photo by me

Julie Andrews Edwards Quote

I don’t know why, but these beautiful words by Julie Andrews Edwards resonate somewhere deep in my soul — thought I’d share:

“That night she dreamed of the deer.

Strangely, the animal was holding her.

She curled close into the soft fur

And touched and kissed it gently.

In the morning, her pillow

Was wet with tears.”

–Photo by me

Rescued

My son Aaron managed to grab another one of the feral kittens that hang out on the edge of town; he has a soft spot for strays, and knows that they’ll freeze to death when the bitter cold comes if left outside.

This one has something wrong with her front leg; it swings around like it’s broken, but she doesn’t seem to be in any pain. It might be a birth defect. We wrapped it up to help her walk easier.

Anyway, I think it is so important to teach our children to be kind to animals. They’ll learn to be kinder all around when they’re older — and our world sure needs that!

Here’s what I believe is an anonymous quote on it to which I wholeheartedly agree:

“How you treat animals

tells me

all I need to know

about you.”

–Photo by me

Quote on Wind Farms

I took a drive through a wind farm in North Dakota on Sunday, and was shocked at the forest of massive, whirling turbines spread across the land. Besides being an obvious eyesore on our amber waves of grain, a little research yielded mostly negative opinions about them. Many would like to sell their homes and move, but the value of their property has diminished appreciably.

They may look slow and awkward, but the tips of the blades move at up to 180 mph, making a constant noise that some claim makes them sick. Maintenance is very costly, and I wonder if the small net gain in energy is worth destroying our landscapes. Here’s a quote by Frida Payle that sums it up:

“It’s like taking up smoking

Because you drink too much.

And now you’re a smoker

As well as a drinker.”

–Photos by me

Will Rogers Quote

I love rugged old fences, so when I spotted one on the side of the road, I pulled over to take a picture. I would try to get a few of the horses in the shot, especially the colt hiding behind mama. Zooming in, I noticed the insulators and wire running down the length of it– my rustic gnarled fence was electric!

When I was a young boy, my family was visiting our cousins on their farm, and one of the older boys challenged us naive city slickers to pee on the electric fence. Well, I was having no part of that, but my brother was the type of person who just had to, for what reason, I’ll never know. And let me just say, there are those who claim you can’t get shocked that way, but there was no mistaking my brother’s extreme “discomfort”.

Anyway, that brings me to the Will Rogers quote:

“There are three kinds of men.

The ones who learn by reading,

The few who learn by observation,

And the rest of them, who have to pee

On the electric fence for themselves.”

–Photo by me

Groucho Marx Quote

Everyone should have a good inspirational bench out in nature to read, write, or just sit and reflect on.

Sometimes just getting away from the rat race helps to clear up the jumbled mess in my head that life in this world brings on. Not that I’m complaining about life; mine has never been better since I quit drinking nine months ago.

As I sit here sober, I think about all those years I wasted being a drunk, and shake my head– why would anyone do that to themselves? A death wish? Because that’s where I was headed; I knew it, but I didn’t care. I was just killing time while waiting for it.

Today, I feel great; I’ve been given a second chance, and I’m cherishing every wonderful moment. I don’t want to die anymore, and that brings me to the Groucho Marx quote:

“I intend to live forever,

Or die trying.”

–Photo by me

Quote on Solitude

I was out on one of my adventures this morning when I came upon a small ice house on a secluded lake. As I stood there wondering about its possible occupant, the door opened, and an old man stepped out for a minute, only to disappear inside again. I thought about walking out to visit with him a bit, but I didn’t want to ruin his solitude nor mine. Solitude is something to be treasured in our busy lives. It reminds me of a quote by Joseph Krutch:

“To have passed through life

and never experienced solitude

is to never have known oneself;

To have never known oneself

is to have never known anyone.”

–Photo by me