By The End Of The Day

  My day begins before the sun rises in the east and ends long after it slides behind the pines in the west.  For my way of thinking, there are just not enough hours in the day to do all of the things that need doing.  I have no complaints about this other than it would be nice just one day to think that I accomplished all I set out to do that day.   Nope, it will never happen.  In a way, it is for the best.  Folks who loll about all day seem to have far too much time on their hands and that old saying "Idle minds are the Devil's workshop" may just come into play.  Nah, not always.  My busyness comes from having a work ethic pounded in the brain at a young age but a good hike to refresh the body and soul is always welcome.  On the farm, there was little time to sit idle even for toddlers.  As soon as we were able to be up and about, there was a number of chores assigned to us.  Shelling peas, snapping green beans, feeding the hundreds of chickens and picking the eggs, bundling turnip greens for the market, weeding the rows of vegetables, gathering firewood or what have you, kept us quite on our toes.  What little time we did have for play was spent running around the yard, woods or fields.  There was no sitting inside "twiddling our thumbs" as Pop used to say.  

  Lately, I find refreshment of the mind while on the slow hikes with the old dog.  His legs do not carry him like they once did so we, more or less, meander the hillside with him stopping to rest often.  It is then that I am able to do a bit of photography without the worry of the dog wandering off on some daring escapade.  This is my relaxation time.  The time at sunrise and then again at sunset.  The leisurely stroll is good for the both of us and, by the end of the day, I am ready to wind down and settle in for the night.