Gathering. Well, it’s one of my favorite things. A sweet meditative time with the good company of Edgar Rice Burro and the rest of my herd. Manure is the physical confirmation of everyone’s health; it’s the still time that my eyes run each body for injuries. Not to mention, it’s my greatest mental luxury. I swear, I have no idea how other people “gather” their thoughts. All these things just seem to come together for me when I have a fork in my hand.
You know, it’s amazing… When I started doing these photo challenges, with the self-imposed stipulation that they all be about my little farm, I thought it would be hard. I assumed that WordPress had an upscale urban mentality that would be at total odds with my barn world.
Wait. Gathering: That is the gentrified city-word for mucking. I’ve got that right, don’t I?
Anna Blake, Infinity Farm
(WordPress Photo Challenge is a weekly prompt to share a photo–I enjoy twisting these macro prompts to share our micro life here on the Colorado prairie. My photos are taken with my phone, on my farm. No psych, definitely not high tech.)
Mucking… a medatative state.
We’re the lucky ones.
One of my favorite things …
“Gathering” ….
I love it ….
with hugs from Nina
And hugs back to you. Best wishes to you and yours.
You are in good company regarding the “gathering” part of the equine experience. Having helpers with many high degrees of education and employment background that have found peace
in the morning stables. I’m always happy to share the mucking duties.
Nice to know you and I share them, even at a distance, it counts for something. Best wishes…
I think it keeps you grounded.
And enlightened, both at the same time. It’s the perfect balance. Thanks for commenting.
Life just wouldn’t be the same without a “gathering,” especially if it’s voluminous. Wishing a gathering of plenty in the New Year to all on Anna’s blog!
Thanks, Lynell, and the good gathering right back to you!
The previous “when nothing less than havarti will do” wont come up for some reason – dont know it its just me or everyone!
I agree – gathering is an appropriate description – for many reasons
Sorry about the other post; it’s a draft of another post that I hit by mistake and then called back.
I love the gathering of manure. I just cleaned my little pasture today. All is right with the world. I also love when my sweet gelding Jade, backs up to me and plops one onto my fork. I did not teach him that. He is a neatnick. Can you tell how much this activity improves my mood? Makes me laugh.
I love Jade. Such a helper. It’s true; all is right with the world. It makes me smile too, noodle that good boy for me, too.
Love this meditation and picture on cleaning the barn, and how manure is a sign of health. Maybe it’s time for me to turn off Diane Rehm when I clean out the barn and just listen to the natural sounds…
I do confess to the occasional podcast myself, but here is to health and peace of mind! Thanks for commenting.
Hi Anna,
It was starting to get dark. My husband and I had gotten ourselves lost on a long hike into Hayden Valley in Yellowstone. We’d already seen a fresh wolf kill and heard a grizzly crashing through the forest.
We ventured to a clearing and were considering our options when a big burly guy came tromping out of the woods.
Royce was a hero. He worked for the Forest Service, lived in windy Gardiner Montana, could bugle like an elk, enjoyed the muddy mountain lion paw prints on the hood of his truck, loved his wife who was a Cordon Bleu chef and with whom he enjoyed vacations of packing up the horses with gourmet food and hitting the trail.
When we told Royce we were from Laguna Beach, CA. He mentioned that he had spent some time in Southern California and “that you really had to have your poop-in-a-group” to live there
I think Royce was a man who whenever and wherever – always had his poop-in-a-group.
That’s strangely inspirational. Thank you. 🙂
Well put. I definitely do some of my best thinking while mucking stalls :-). It’s my daily anti-stress, come back to myself and my herd time. I like it so much that I really don’t mind it. And I have a helper too, Hobo the barn cat who knows I will swing by the vet room on my way with the wheel barrow and feed him.
Cat company, too? It’s perfect.
The gathering would be even sweeter if Mr. Edgar picked the fork up in his teeth and contributed to the clean up effort. And that would make for amazing meme possibilities.
Agreed. And it isn’t that he doesn’t pick up the fork (then run off with it and break the tines with his pointy little toes) but he got promoted to a managerial position. He wishes you and your boy a great new year.
And whilst you are happy “gathering” all of your equine and otherwise barn companions are silently cleaning your energy field daily of all its acquired human baggage. It truly is a sacred time……..
So well put, yes, when you think of it that way, we muck each other out! Thanks, Kate.