When I visited my aunt this week I found out there were artists on my father’s side of the family I never knew about. One of my great great’s painted a portrait of himself to let his wife know that he had escaped their homeland and was on his way to America to join her and their children. It was a remarkable painting. I cannot draw a face much less paint one. I admire people who can paint and draw people as I can never get it out on paper. On my mother’s side of the family there was a poet and lots of singers. There is a lot of creativity all around but I think we bury it in our day to day living until one day it comes bursting forth. Hopefully we don’t hide our light under a barrel and but instead allow it to shine.

Today I was out checking some properties and as I was driving up the drive to one I accidentally caused about eight hundred geese to take flight. They were sitting along the driveway and field. They then headed to the river. It was deafening when they took off, honking all the while. As I continued up the drive and parked they all settled onto the river, some chose to go to the open part of the river and swim while others chose to land on the ice. I thought the ice was too thin to hold their weight but they obviously knew better than me as about three hundred of them stood on the ice honking. I love hearing the geese. There were also nine turkey vultures hanging about in a tree waiting to feast on something that was on the riverbank. I think it was a goose an eagle or fox got and left some behind. I did not want to go too close for fear of flushing the geese again.

The top picture is of tonight’s sunset. The middle picture was of the river bank with some of the ice while the bottom picture was just a cool thing that caught my eye.

Last night I turned off my tv and returned to my days of apartment living without tv. (I lived two years without a tv and grew to love it.) I worked in silence for a long time and found I relaxed and really enjoyed it. I turned on my cd’s after a while and listened to five cd’s of widely varying tastes. I find it helps me to think and I had some heavy thinking to do. A song came on that I had not listened to in a long time but it hit me in my heart and soul as it has in the past. It is Peter Gabriel’s That Voice Again. Another song that has recently rung true with me is Little Talks by Of Monsters and Men.

Isn’t funny how some art, music, books or even people just connect with your soul. Even in your darkest hours sometimes it can just bring that glimmer of light you need to keep going.

I hope you have a great week. Be careful in the weather out there and find what sings to your soul!