Center Stage
miami valley security, inc.
I don't want to brag. However, evidently I live in an area so free of crime, that a stick passes as adequate security.
memorial day, 2014
Every year, I get up early and take along quiet walk in the national cemetery here in Springfield, Ohio. It's a time for me to spend some time thinking about the sacrifice of others and to put my own service into some perspective.
This year, I decided to head over to the larger national cemetery in Dayton. Seeing the rows upon rows of head stones brings the impact to an even greater scale. I thought about the many thousands of headstones, all in their neat rows, every one of them lovingly given it's own American flag.
I think about my grandfather, my father, my uncle, and all of my ancestors that served and I am proud.
In today's society, I don't often find cause to be proud of being an American. To much political finger-pointing, social division, and a general attitude of selfishness. However, when I find myself surrounded by the quiet ghosts of these brave men and women, I am proud that some American's sons and daughters knew what real sacrifice meant and were proud to do their part for our nation.
I feel humbled.
Tim
pushing buttons
Who could resist? If there are buttons to be pushed, I'll be sure to push every one of them.
barn roof
I often pass this barn on the way to the farm. It's one of the Ohio bicentenial barns chosen to represent each county in the state. The barn is in pretty sad shape, but currently undergoing rennovation. No matter what direction you approach the barn, you can see this roofline with all of its interesting details. It's a fine old barn.
farm walk
On a recent Saturday morning, I drove over to the farm and went for a long walk. It was a nice cool summer morning and I was feeling the need to get outside a little bit. This is a mood that comes over me from time to time. I need to commune with Ma Nature a little bit on my own.
The path took me along the edge of one of the pastures and then turned into the woods and crossed a stream. I still get a kick out of crossing a stream by hopping from rock to rock. Now that I am getting up in age a little, I am far more careful than I was in my youth.
My sense of balance is not what it used to be. As a matter of fact, I am thinking about taking some yoga classes to see if they can help me become more limber and more balanced. If you take yoga, I'd like to hear from you on the subject.
After emerging from the trees, I stumbled upon Jason and one of the farmers out in the sorghum field. They had Rosie harnessed up and were cultivating between the rows to keep the weeds down to a reasonable level.
Rosie is new to the farm and this was a good opportunity to get her some practice in harness.
a little color for a rainy monday morning
Monday's are hard enough without having to deal with rainy skies. Here is a splash of color from my weekend. When the gray skies beging to get to you, just stare at these images for a feew minutes and let the color seep into your soul.
Who new that Monet, Degas, Cassat, and a handful of other impressionist artists were so accessable?
I know that you are more used to seeing muted colors from me, when you see me post color at all. However, I love great color when I see it. Driving down the street and being surprised made my Saturday morning. I hope it makes your Monday morning a bright and cheerful one. Have a fantastic week.
dawn cormorants
the summer ball
The middle of June saw the June ball and you know I had no choice, I needed to be there. The gowns and uniforms were gorgeous. So much so that I thought you might want to see the spectacle in color.
That, my dear readers, is the Virginia Reel in full color. Told you that you would want to see the color version. It's almost as if I could read your minds.
loading the hay
We last left the hay making adventure with a full wagon, heading for home. The farmer and his crew went back for another load, returning to the barn only after they had filled all of the wagons.
One of the wagons was pulled into the barn and the youngest member of the crew climbed onto the pile of hay to set the claw.
When he was ready, Charlie set the horses in motion. They were harnessed to a rope that pulled the claw into the air, raising the hay high into the loft.
Once in the loft, Joe and Jimmy used their pitch forks to move the hay into place.
http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=109786
What is fascinating is how fast the hay moves once the horses take up the slack. I thought you might like to see a video of the motion. Sorry about rotating the camera 90 degrees, it just fit the scene better. Enjoy.
tim mcmurdo 