Insomnia

I guess insomnia is good for some things. Like walking up in the middle of the night and peering outside. And then listening to the grand kids sleeping peacefully upstairs.
I stepped outside to admire the cool moon light and realized that there were actually moon beams shining down on the sleepy mules through the fog that hovered just above them.

I sat down on the porch and just listened to the night sounds. The crickets were about all I could hear.

I thought about the brilliant fall colors that would be approaching in the next weeks. I thought of the early misty mornings of the Driftless Region...how in some places there was already fall color beginning to show...

I tried to think of all the bird song that was now missing due to them migrating south.
I missed the Robins cheerful songs in the morning. I miss the wren scolding me when I went to fee the hound dogs.
And I miss the Orioles who entertained us from the front of the house in the Hickory Tree.
Sadly, I'd have to wait until spring to see them all again.

I watched the mists slowly flow across the pasture and thought of the past 90 days. Well, nearly 3 months since Rich's stroke and the fact that I now stayed home.
How was that going? I think it is going very well. I help him and he is slowly improving on all fronts.
I can't imagine how I could have managed while working my odd hours at work and tried to take care of him too.

However, the past 3 months have been so full of good things.

Teaching kids to ride. Fishing.
Adventures with the farrier and visiting another farm.

The kids both Dennis and Ariel and the Clausen girls adore doing chores and run out each morning to get them done.

If I wasn't able to be home full time, some of this summer wonder wouldn't have been able to occur.
I am happy and sad at the same time.

Was this stroke such a horrid thing? Well in a way, yes, but in a way ... no.

The man who knew he'd never ride again...rode again.
The mule who was retired came out of retirement and now looks forward to getting caught and used...

We have decided to review our priorities. After all he had throat cancer 2 years ago and we nearly lost him. Then the stroke.

How much time do we have together, why not enjoy each day together if we can? Do things that bring us joy each day.

It doesn't really matter if I don't sleep the best now. Years of having bizarre shifts have changed my sleep pattern.
But now I can use it to sit on the porch and have some very quiet time to think and ponder.

The kids are all going back to school and fall harvest is certainly on my mind.

The excitement of some fall colors are there too. I look forward to each season.

The moon will nearly be full again tonight. I wonder if I will be able to catch a shot of the 'orange' moon.
When it rises and sets now, it has an orange glow which comes from the Canadian and the other wild fires out west.

Here is to insomnia, may it never fail me for a great shot!