A Slower Pace

Taking advantage of the later daylight hours, I took the kids shed hunting after dinner this evening. Now most of you are going to be thrown by the term and think that we are out trying to spot little buildings in which you keep garden and yard equipment. While that certainly would be easier to do, what we are actually looking for is our in the woods and treelines. They are the “sheds” or dropped deer antlers that come off the male deer this time of year. It is a perfect opportunity to get the kids involved because you don’t have to dress up in camo, they don’t have to be all that particularly quiet (the sheds aren’t going anywhere), and it gets you outdoors to enjoy nature.

So we all grabbed walking sticks and headed out back. We started on the treeline closest to the house. I instructed the kids on what they were looking for and where some good possible locations are — on either side of fencerows, opposite sides of creeks or streams, and along the wildlife trails especially near trees or low hanging branches. Basically any place where the deer might have some jolt or bump that might knock off their antlers.

About a half hour into our “hunt”, we were along one of the back creeks. The kids were a little bit ahead of me and I was about 3 or 4 feet up along a slanted tree that had fallen during a windstorm but got caught up on another tree leaving the top end suspended and the entire tree at a 45 degree angle. Suddenly, there was a ruckus 20 feet behind us. Quickly emerging from the winter vegetation was a beautiful huge female turkey. The hen took off running away from us and across the neighboring sod farm. I called out to the kids and we all got a really good look at it. She was just beautiful and, for me, it made it a successful outing.

We headed all the way to the pond on the back where I thought we might get lucky. There are several incoming deer trails that lead to the pond and their various bed down locations. We searched intently but did not find anything other than tracks and droppings. We finished the back property as the sun went down. I proceeded to the location where I want to build my environmental, 100% off-the-grid, self sustaining house and watched the first sunset I can remember from that location. The sun eased below the far treeline and we slowly made our way back to the house.

We came home with nothing but memories but had lots of fun on our first shed hunting excursion.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

We were crazy or should I say going crazy 4 years ago today. That was because it was our first true day in Kentucky. It was a frantic day that had us:

• traveling up from outside of Nashville
• hurrying to Louisville to drop off the dogs with a work friend
• rush to the realtor to sign the closing papers
• get pulled over as we sped to the house
• so we could pay the water people and not have them turn off the water over the weekend
• go to Walmart to stock the fridge and get all those lame little household items you take for granted (paper towel holder, silverware drawer organizer thingy, door mats, trash cans, etc)

Looking back on it, that was a crazy time. And we didn’t know anyone here. I’d be hard pressed to do all that all over again today.

Here is the original post from that time.

We had our church Advent event tonight so we are going out Monday at lunch as a family to celebrate. My wife chose the Cheesecake Factory as our celebratory location. See ya there.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Exactly two years ago we closed escrow on this house and were moving all the boxes, furniture and stuff into it. As I remember it, the weather was nice — about 60F degrees and I remember thinking, “Winter isn’t too bad here in Kentucky”. Pretty funny since a few days later we got the most snow in 10 years.

A lot has happened in the short two years we’ve been here. What’s changed the most, though, has been our ability to reprioritize what is most important in our lives — our faith, our family, our friends, and our community. Work and possessions are in there further down the list but aren’t what we live for. It is good every once in a while to look back on how far you have come, how much progress you have made, what direction you have taken and the successes, challenges, losses and joys that are a part of your existence.

I am looking forward to many more milestone opportunities like today.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Well, 365 days ago we pulled into the driveway to make this place ours. I can remember it was an unseasonable 60F degree day. I thought to myself “This isn’t that bad”.

Today is also a beautiful day. Not 60F degrees — not even close. But with the sun out and shining, everything is beautiful and you wouldn’t know that it is only 35F degrees. I even took my mountain bike out on the back property. The crisp air and the quiet woods reflecting the bright sun were beautiful — but in a different way than when it was all green or when they were a bounty of fall colors.

Tonight we have the kids’ Christmas pagent/play/performance — whatever you call it. Afterwards we are going out on our traditional yearly Christmas light drive where we drive to some of the well lit up and decorated neighborhoods for the kids to see. We’ll play Christmas music in the truck and bring hot chocolate to enjoy as we drive around. It will be interesting because I don’t really have an exact route as I did back in CA.

And for celebration of our 1 year Kentucky anniversary, we’re gonna go to a very nice steak house where we made the decision to come here initially. Table number 11 is our special table. We’ll be there tomorrow night to ring in our second year in our new home state.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

I stated in an earlier post that Saturday opened up the hunting season here. Well, today I almost got my first turkey. It flew in from my left and directly into my sights. I only had a split second opportunity to get a bead on it. I don’t know what spooked it to retake flight and escape to my right. It might have been for the fact that there was this speeding white mass of a truck headed right for it. Or maybe it was the radio that was blaring one of the many local country radio stations. Either way, it decided that landing on the road right in front of me as I sped towards in my truck it wasn’t in its best interest and took off to be someone else’s Thanksgiving dinner. At first I thought it was one of the more agile buzzards headed towards me but the larger body and shape gave way to a female hen. I thought it was a nice way to start the morning.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Winter symbolizes death and with its impending arrival, you can see that all around. First off, all the colors of the trees I was marveling about a week or two ago are all gone. There might be one or two stragglers with some brown leaves still attached, but most deciduous trees are mere skeletons.

Today was also the day I tilled under the garden. With several frosts under out belt, the tomato plants had long died and dried up; rotten fruit hanging from it’s once lush vines now decayed to brown, crisp veins. The peppers had some dried remains still on the brown bushes. And there were a few spoiled watermelon that never matured to full glory but rather decayed on the withering vine. None of this was a match for the motorized tiller that indiscriminately tore at the ground and remaining garden vegetation and tossed it violently. Soon enough, it was a bare plot of brown earth ready for the cold winter ahead.

And finally, today was opening day for rifle deer hunting. On our way out this morning, we came across two spooked deer on the road. They were very skittish as if they knew there were camouflaged figures after them. Between them and the more frequent gunshots in the distance, it would be hard to miss opening day.

All these indicators of death are just parts of the cycle as a whole. I am thankful for my faith that gives me hope beyond just a mere cycle of nature. While God put in place these cycles, He also sacrificed His Son so that we may transcend death — what is, for most people, the end of a cycle.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Here’s a cellphone conversation I had with my wife on my way home tonight.

Me – “Hey, turn on the TV. Something’s going on with OJ.”

Wifey – “Huh?”

Me – “I was trying to be funny. Remember during the OJ chase when all those helicopters were hovering above the freeway? Well, I see some over the 64. OJ did something again.”

coming back after turning on the TV —

Wifey – “We live in Kentucky, remember? It’s not OJ. It’s pigs on the freeway.”

Me – “That’s pretty damn funny.”

Turns out a truck overturned and there were pigs running around the freeway and center median. It must of been quite a sight.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Well, it’s early November and go figure…..we hit about 70F today with an expected 75F tomorrow. It almost feels like CA during the winter. We had a cold snap there for a while but things have temporarily warmed back up. The kids were outside for PE today playing basketball and riding my new mountain bike that they now call theirs. My oldest daughter even took it down by the front creek where I cut some new trails through the trees. Speaking of which, I took the bike out last night out back right at about dusk time. I was on the grass speeding down a small incline towards a trail through the trees so I wasn’t making much noise. But as soon as I hit the trail, the bike tires began crunching all the leaves on the ground. I came to a stop soon after to just admire the quiet like I usually do. However, I had startled all the wildlife down there. I heard about 4 or 5 deer scampering away, their white tails surrendering their retreating positions through the trees. A couple of squirrels darted up a tree and a raccoon hurdled the dry creek bed to safety. All I heard were crunching of leaves as the animals departed. I thought that was interesting in that I thought wild animals tended to be more alert than that.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Tonight my son and I took a late trip to WalMart to pick up a few things. It was dusk with a pretty sliver of a moon greeting us with Venus hanging right below it. We got what we needed at WalMart and headed towards the bank for a late night deposit in the drop box. Because the moon was only a sliver, there wasn’t much light on the road. I drove my wife’s truck a bit slower than I normally would as I headed down the two lane country road. Ahead, at the edges of the headlights, I saw something on the road. Before I could react I had not one, not two, but THREE skunks directly in my lane with me bearing down on them. Luckily the road was clear and I had a bit of a shoulder as well as the oncoming lane to play with. I swerved my wife’s truck right, straddling the shoulder keeping control as I eased back onto the road after the threat had passed. I guess when the headlights blinded them, they didn’t even have a chance to get in position to spray me. I got away scott free! I don’t know who is luckier — the skunks for me not running them over or my wife for me saving her truck.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net

Tonight, after my son’s T-ball game, I did a few chores outside to get ready for this Saturday’s pool party we’re having for my son’s birthday. One of the items on my list was to set fire to the burn pile so we would be rid of the cardboard and wood that had been accumulating. You don’t have to ask me twice to bring out the little pyro in me.

It took about an hour to get through the large pile with the flames dancing high into the night sky adding floating embers to the thousands of country sky stars. It was quite hot, so after the fire died down, I decided I’d babysit it from the refreshing poolside. I jumped in and it was very comfortable. I grabbed a few floating noodles and just eased back gazing into the dark sky with pinholes for stars in it.

That is when I noticed some activity — more than usual. Hey, there’s a falling star….oh, it disappeared…there it is again…on the same trajectory….wait, that’s a firefly overhead. Hey there’s a moving star….no, that’s a satellite. Finally, that quick bright streak. That is a falling star.

Anyway, it was very relaxing to lay there floating with the sky entertaining me with it’s light show. It’s a shame I had to get out and go to bed. Here’s to the beginning of long, hot summer nights.

…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net