Monday, December 19, 2011

May the God of Your Choice Bless You and Onward Through the Fog

The title line for this post is a quote from American novelist, politician, singer, and song writer Kinky Friedman.

December has never looked so good in Oregon.  We've had minimal rain and the temperatures, while cool, haven't been too extreme.  Lots of glorious sunshine, too, after the fog burns off each day.

Nighttime can be a bit perilous.  A deer wandered out onto the road in front of my car a few nights ago.  The fog was thick, but my high beams caught in the deer's eyes soon enough and I had plenty of time to stop and patiently wait as the lovely creature blended back into the woods.  The other three deer, the ones waiting off to the right allowed me to pass.  Last week, a massive and magnificent elk sauntered in front of my Honda.  Thankfully, I was putting along and able to make a "soft" stop.  The elk was at least as large as my gelding, Irish, if not bigger.  Sometimes, I am only aware an elk after I've passed one grazing alongside the road.  An elk's shadowy shape always registers after the fact.

All December, our mornings here at the ranch have been shrouded in mystery as things and animals emerge and disappear into the fog.  I love the changing nature of a foggy vista.  Here's a snapshot I took last week of Gin in his paddock.


"It is not the clear-sighted who rule the world.  Great achievements are accomplished in a blessed, warm fog."  ~Joseph Conrad

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