THE DEATH OF A FRIEND

Sissy, our little black dog, was killed on Saturday.  We knew it was going to happen sooner or later, and it happened sooner.  You see she liked to chase cars and trucks down the lane as they left our place.  She never chased them out onto the main road, in fact just about half way down the lane she would back off and watch them until they left.  But when you she chased them she would be in front of the front tire, trying to bite the tire.  We had tried to get her to quit, but this was one area she wouldn't listen to us.  For awhile she slowed down, but lately has been bad.

Sissy was our son Jon's dog.  Seeing as he lives in an apartment, Sissy stayed with us.  Jon's daughter, Sydney really loved to play with Sissy.  As soon as she got off the bus from school each day, Sydney would yell for Sissy.  Sissy was just getting so she would start down the lane to meet Sydney.  When the two of them would get to our yard, Sydney would put a leash on Sissy, and away they ran, around the yard, out to the chickens, as fast as they both could run.  As they wound down, they would sit on the lawn, looking for bugs and pulling up grass.  Sissy would run after sticks that Sydney threw for her, although she would never return them to Sydney.

Jon was out working with the cows and saw Sissy get run over.  Sydney was here visiting for the day, so they both went out to get Sissy into the back of the pickup and take her to the area on the farm they wanted to bury her. 

Because our two dogs are working dogs, they are around the cattle all the time.  The other dog, Spot,  is  a blue heeler, and she and Sissy played with each other all the time.  They had their conflicts and Spot, was quick to assert the part of the Alpha female of the pack.  There were times these two did not get along, but mostly they were compatible. 

Spot walked, not ran, down to the place where Jon and Sydney buried Sissy.  When I walked down there, Spot came over and stood by me.  She didn't try to get in the way, she didn't try to play, she just stood  by me, quietly, almost reverently, and watched.

In living around the animals like we do here on the ranch, I have had the chance to observe and watch as animals react to different situations they face. People seem to think that animals don't have feelings but they do and they react in special ways to those feelings.

Death of a pet is hard. They have a special place in our lives. Sissy was almost three years old and becoming the working dog we expected her to be.  She was a great companion for Sydney and Jon, actually for the rest of us. She was young enough to still show the enthusiasm for life, but old enough to not drag every body's garbage onto our lawn.  She was dainty when she ate.  Spot gobbles the food down, Sissy always ate one piece at a time. And she liked her privacy.  She wouldn't eat when we were watching her.  She actually obeyed  us in most things, except for the vehicle chasing.

We have looked for pictures of Sissy, but could only find two.  At least we have that to help us remember her. Sissy, our friend, our companion, will be missed!

A SPECIAL PHOTO MOMENT

I'm still new at this blogging, but have some pictures I'm hoping to share with you.  The other evening I was in my bedroom visiting with Skyler, our grandson.  I glanced out the window.  The day had been cloudy and overcast, but just as the sun was going down, it shined in all it's glory.  WOW.  The cottonwood trees were magnificent.  I grabbed my camera and ran out into the pasture so as to get away from as many wires and lines as I could, and snapped some pictures.  The ones I am displaying have not been enhanced at all!  It was really a special moment!  Enjoy!

AUTUMN LEAVES

There is an old Indian legend that says every fall heavenly hunters kill and cook a great bear. Blood drips from the sky on the leaves of the earth. Then bear fat spatters from the cooking pot onto leaves, spotting the blood-red leaves with gold.

And there's also the tale of Jack Frost flitting from tree to tree with his paint brush and palette, to give us our fall colors.

Fun stories to tell.  Actually, it is three color  pigments in combination - xanthophyllo, carotene, and anthocyanin - hiding behind the green of chlorophyll that give the leaves their autumn finery.

Variables come into play here, causing the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows.  I seems that the brightest colors come following a warm, dry summer. dry conditions encourage the production of anthocyanin.  drought conditions will not bring the same results.

A warm dry summer has to be followed by temperature extremes in autumn. Leaves store more sugars during warm days and the sugars remain in place if the nights are cool. Sugar is a color-enhancing ingredient. So, the warmer the days and cooler the nights - short of freezing, - produces the grandest effects.

Moisture is also important. Just like the story of the three bears: too much moisture can ruin the leaf colors; too little moisture causes the trees to drop the leaves early; but just the right amount of moisture adds sparkle and brightness of color to the leaves. 

So if the summer has been warm and dry, good rains come early in the fall and then clears, the chances are excellent for natures fall art show.

Genetics also determines the range of shades within a color. for example, in aspens you can see the shades of yellow from orangish-yellow to canary yellow, and all the yellows in between.

Maybe this has been too much information. But, to me, the factors determining our fall colors are interesting.  It just adds to the beauty and mystery of our seasons.

The Autumn of Our Life

I don't know if everyone reacts to autumn as I do.  The cold nippy mornings seem to put something in my blood that makes me want to bounce.  But I also seem to do some deep thinking at this time of the year.  Reflections take place, memories come forth, even some profound thoughts.

I've often heard that what your face looks like until the age of forty is not because of anything you have personally done, but after forty it is all to your credit.  Have you ever sat in a mall or public place and "people watched"? An older person's face can tell some interesting stories: peace; worry/stress; bitterness; kindness; happiness; etc.

We are told that the beauty of the foliage in the fall depends upon certain environmental elements such as moisture, temperature, elevation, etc.  Is this an analogy of our facial future.  The trees and plants get their nourishment from the moisture and soil.  Where does our face get it's nourishment?

Let's look at this.  Our physical nourishment comes from food and drink.  Do we feed ourselves properly?  Are our physical needs being taken care of.  But how are we nourishing our mind, our intellect?  Perhaps that is as important as our physical nourishment. 

Are soap operas and trashy novels the junk food we feed our minds, hoping it can survive and radiate energy with that diet?

Do negative thoughts provide negative words and actions.  We've all seen the ugly, brown leaf among the yellow, orange and red ones, and on the same tree.  Did that leaf not get the same nourishment?

Overindulgence seems to cause clogging of the thought process.  After eating until you are stuffed, can you think sharply and quickly? Are you quick to react?

Spiritual goals and aspirations need to be nourished by a proper spiritual diet - worship, study, contemplation, prayer.

Don't you think that this nourishment would cause a beautiful and glowing autumn in our lives. Think of the sparkle and beauty which would be apparent not only on our face, but our entire countenance.

Nature has a yearly chance to show her beauties. We work towards ours every day because our autumn comes only once. We want to bounce and react to elements, but we must prepare to do so.  I ran across a quote that puts this into perspective: "I want to die young, as late in life as possible."