The Last Three Months in Pictures

Something inside was nagging me to get professional pictures of Waylon before we left that property. I wanted to capture him in that time and place just being himself. Now that I think about it, there were probably other reasons this idea kept nagging me to make it happen.

Sitting in this exact spot several months ago, watching the sunset after a long day in the office, I experienced a total breakdown, followed by a total surrender, followed by total bliss. All together it only lasted about five minutes, but I was a different person afterwards - not entirely different, but just to the point of realizing I was the cause of all of my stress through my own choices, such as forcing square pegs into round holes, or buying a quarter-million dollar property (what was I THINKING?). And here I was, sitting in that same spot with Waylon, on yet another day that was to change the course of my life.

This is the photographer who took these pictures. I'd met Audrey briefly over the summer while visiting one of the local farms where she worked at the time. I knew she had a knack for capturing the sort of spontaneous, natural moments I was looking to record and remember with Waylon. Such as...

This is pure joy. Oh, but if we could only feel this way as adults... Right?

I used to let Waylon sit behind the wheel of my truck as we drove to the top of the pasture where this photo was taken. He loved it. He loves trucks and tractors. Clyde only just made the move to my cabin this week, but he seems really happy here already.

I let Waylon drive back down.

This is where I am staying now. This is where I should have been years ago, but sometimes you have to learn the hard way in order for it to stick. I won't be in this cabin come March, but it has been exactly what I needed at this time in my life. The next move will be into a small house on 17 acres next door to this cabin, and my friend Tommy.

I pick up a decent wifi signal at the cabin, which allows me to make a living when the laptop battery is charged enough. Oh, and I have to wear reading glasses now.

Something tells me there are going to be lots of photos this year.

We had a week of non-stop rain followed by a week of non-stop ice, snow and sun. It has been a beautiful winter here in southwest Virginia. I can't think of any place I'd rather be.

I heat water for coffee and do some light cooking on this wood stove, which also supplies all the heat we need (more than enough!)

Most of the cooking is done on this propane camp stove though.

I'm not eating as fresh, local, organic, healthy, etc... as I'd like to but most of the time things turn out pretty well given what I have to work with.

I cashed in some 401ks and took a few months off of work to make some major changes in my life. I'm selling my dream farm. I am getting divorced. I dropped to part-time at work. I moved into a tiny cabin and am buying another, much cheaper, property next to the best neighbor I can imagine. I went to a ten-day meditation course. I finally got started on that book I've been talking about writing for three years. I started dating someone who reminds me so much of myself it is... uncanny. Yes, a lot has been going on around here. But I'm not stressed about it anymore.

Life is good. I've been looking up for several months now and existing in this wonderful state. I know it won't last forever. Things change. There are ups and downs, grace and falling, light and dark times... That is okay.

Let fate/God/Universe/Tao or chance sort it all out for awhile; the right side of my brain is taking a much needed nap.

Right now all I want to do is work as little as I need to in order to focus on things that are important to me, such as relaxation, reading, writing, play, learning, helping, relationships and - of course...

...Waylon, my constant reminder that the present moment is the only moment. As he would say with his cute little southern gentleman accent: Baigh!