I have so many things to tell you about the weekend, about the long ride I took with my two favorite people,
about the leaves changing…
and the radio show we performed on on Saturday.
I want to show you this picture because it’s so damn cute…
and let you that we have tomatoes coming out of our ears in case you need any.
I want to tell you about our new kitten and why my fear that my husband likely lost his mind is equal to the fear I have for my furniture.
And I want to show you my new favorite photo.
I woke up this morning with every intention show you all these things by performing my Monday ritual of coffee and words. But as I stretched my limbs, turned on the coffee pot and let the dogs out the door I got distracted by the way the frozen air leftover from the evening made the stock dam steam as the sun worked on warming the morning.
I stood at the big windows and watched it roll off the top of the water and suddenly I was very aware of the seconds passing. It seemed the season was changing right in front of my eyes and I wanted to be wide awake.
I didn’t feel like Monday morning or the sleep lines that hadn’t yet had a chance to work their way off my face. I didn’t feel like the daunting deadlines of the week or the kitchen that needed a good cleaning. I didn’t even feel like coffee.
I felt like I needed to be on the other side of those windows.
So before Husband could finish buttoning his work shirt, I pulled on my boots, tucking my bulky sweatpants inside the tops as I reached for a second sweatshirt from the laundry pile. I didn’t want to waste time on things like proper clothing. I had to capture this quiet moment that I was certain to be short-lived.
Because I know that once it hits the horizon, the sun rises fast…and it never stops moving.
It’s always on time.
I know that raindrops dry up.
I know that when the leaves start to change, winter isn’t far away…
And if I would have slept a few minutes longer I would have missed the pair of ducks cutting their way through the mist.
I know I don’t want to miss these moments.
Or these moments.
Or these.
And I know there are so many things to say…
about today.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch... 
Beautiful photos, you are lucky to live in such a nice place 🙂
My dear lady, you are the personification of Life is to be lived! I love your photography, your words and while my life in ND took place on the prairies further east and a long, long time ago, you take me back to my roots and I thank you for that. Thank You
I love to read your posts. You express yourself so well and I relate absolutely to everything you write. I also live in Paradise and am striving to find my “voice” to share it with others as you have done. Keep up the heart work. You are a gift!
Oh how I wish I could get some of those tomatoes! Our farmer’s market is over for the year. It is always so hard to go back to grocery store tomatoes. Your posts are visual poetry — truly inspirational. Thank you!
I sure could use some of those tomatos, but, shipping them would result in a mess. Love the pictures.
Our horse used to do that all the time too, turn her head to sniff our right boot – usually just before a show, or a trail ride, etc. Strange, I never saw any other person’s horse do it, but it looks like his is. Love the photos, you basically have the life I want to build for myself by the time I’m 30 (have property, horses again, garden, etc) and it’s very inspirational reading your posts.
Your writing and photos always touch my heart. I may live far away, but North Dakota is my ‘true north’…the place I long to be. Sent today’s post to a friend in Florida, and she raved about your pictures (she looked at all of them back to 2010!). Thank you from a homesick prairie girl.
thank you so much for reading and for passing this along. I am so happy to share our life out here, especially with those who have the prairie in their heart…
Gorgeous photos! You are very talented with the camera.
I love your photographs, writing and music! I nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award. You can read more about it here: http://ezmiralda.wordpress.com/2012/09/18/one-lovely-blog-award/.
You’re my Monday morning ritual. Love the photos and the take you have on your world.