I’ve often wondered what folks do to bring peace and tranquility into their lives. Time was when I was homeless and trying to raise a family in the back seat of my car. That was a million years ago, when this was almost unheard of. But it did happen, and during those times, my peace, my tranquility came from the knowledge that even though the bottom had dropped out of my world, my kids still loved me and supported me.
Since then, things have changed for me. I grew, I moved up slowly and was able to better provide for my family. Together we grew and became strong in our love and in our faith. Over the years, I watched as my children started their own lives and became independent. This one with a family, this one with a career and so on. For me, a failed marriage and rebuilding. I started a new career and grew within the company and after many wonderful years there I was on top of the heap.
Now I am retired. Still single. I live in a remote little place in the desert of northern Nevada. I own a property here on the edge of the desert and have almost half an acre of my property fenced with a nice privacy fence. Behind that, wide open desert.
I’ve lived here now for 11 years. During that time, I rescued a beautiful Saint Bernard. She was the love of my life, and as life goes, she grew old for her breed and left this world. A sad time for me to be sure. But I moved on. Sierra, my Saint Bernard, wreaked havoc with my yard, and today nothing grows out back except for the weeds which I fight every summer.
I was given a cute little bird bath and one day this past summer, I placed it in my back yard between 2 pine trees that occupy space and shade my patio in the evenings. Birds began to come and take advantage of the always full watering hole. It was a nice addition to the little critters that shelter in my yard. I’ve got a never ending stream of bunnies, chipmunks, cute little lizards, the occasional cat, quail, and now, the other species of bird that grace my yard with their beauty and antics. Just last week, a new bird appeared, it’s a woodpecker called the northern flicker. Since that first visit by my new friend, a few more have come. While none of these little critters actually live in my yard, they come and go throughout the day.
I sit in my living room, or on the patio when the weather is right, and just get lost in the peace and tranquility that has become my little slice of the wonderful desert I live in. These little guys come and seem to know that this space is safe, and that they can live in harmony with the others around them. Well, most of the time, there is the seldom visit by some hawk looking for dinner that throws them all in a tizzy, but for the most part they are safe.
Thank you for dropping by friends.
Wishing you peace and tranquility.
Johnny2Toes' Blog 