Friday, November 30th, 2018
Tif and my weekly walk at Crow Hassan took on a new look this week.
Thirty degree temperatures, but snow on the ground. Nearly perfect for me.
Don’t get me wrong, I love warm weather, but if snow is on the ground I want to be able to be out in it.
Today was exactly that.
Friday, November 2nd, 2018
It was a gorgeous fall day for a walk through Crow Hassan with a good friend.
I’m not sure if this is a real phenomenon on not, but I swear bodies of water become darker and bolder colored in the fall. Paul and I call it “fall water.”
Today there was little wind, so protected pools like this one looked like glass, but even on windy days in the fall water seems to hold deeper color.
Tuesday, July 24th, 2018
God is so good.
When life gets busy, it’s easy for me to forget that. I don’t know about you, but when life is good, it’s also easy for God to find a backseat.
I’ve found myself doing that lately. Going, going, going, and forgetting that I am most centered when I’m searching for God’s beauty and goodness daily. When I start to take life for granted I start to drift from God.
So this weekend when we were all walking in downtown Stillwater, we came across this sweet little local bookshop and stopped in. I found this treasure of a book called “The Tiny Book of Tiny Pleasures.” I started paging through it and fell in love; this book was made for me.
Some examples of the tiny pleasures captured within this book:
-Licking the mixing bowl clean
-A postcard that cheers you up, pinned above your desk
-Decorating a small corner of your life
-Breathing in nature
-Something that falls yet doesn’t break
-Pretty packaging
-Saying no for once (ha!)
-A beautifully laid table
-Bare branches etched in the moonlight
-Shelling your own peas
-Spotting a bird’s nest
There are four hundred pages in this book, and with each little phrase or item is a beautifully illustrated watercolor image that depicts each pleasure. It’s beautiful to page through, and may be my favorite book I’ve ever bought. So many small reminders of what pleasure is, and all of the places we can find it.
This morning was one that contained many small pleasures, all before 9 o-clock:
-Wildflowers
-A walk with a friend
-Morning light
-Two wild turkeys (with chicks!!) on our path
-Fresh summer air
-Greenery everywhere
-Bluebird skies
Then when I made it home, we had two other friends that joined us for breakfast:
-Doughnuts (because duh)
–Good GREAT news
-Lots of laughter, smiling so much my cheeks hurt
Then off to lunch with more beautiful souls:
-Local eats
-Hugs with good friends
-Catching up on life
-God talk
Then back home again to appreciate the special man God made, who became my husband.
God is good, friends. God is good.
Wednesday, May 9th, 2018
The water is open, and the trees are greening up – it’s finally spring!
My friend Tiffany and I have been trying to go for walks at Crow Hassan Park every week since the weather turned. It’s a great way to catch up, enjoy the sunshine, and get a little exercise. The last couple of times, she’s brought her dog Cleo, and she brings a whole other dimension of joy to our outings.
Being a Lab, she naturally LOVES the water. Every puddle/stream/creek we come across on our walk, she’s bee lining for it, happily splashing in the water and rolling in the mud. Before, Tiffany hasn’t had to worry about bringing her home dirty and wet, as last week was really the first week there was any open water. Once the water became more of a usual staple in our stroll, we planned our walk so we go past the lake on our way back toward the car. While still lake water, it’s much cleaner than the puddles that Cleo finds along the trail 😉
Today, Tiffany grabbed a stick on our way down to the lake, and Cleo could have retrieved all day. Back and forth, back and forth, with the same enthusiasm each time. That’s why I loved today’s image that I caught of her – bounding through the water, ready for the throw.
Both her and Tiffany are treasures – I’m so thankful for both of their friendships!
Wednesday, January 17th, 2018
Taie a minute to slow down and look at this image. Put yourself here. Take a deep breath.
Now, how do you feel?
Peaceful, I hope. Crisp, clean air. Sunshine, a bright path laid out in front of you, slowly rising up toward the sky. Long shadows, no one in the frame, very few tracks ahead of you.
Your path to pave. Your trail to travel.
Along with feeling peaceful, I think of laughter, of shared experiences and friendship.
My sweet friend, Tiffany, and I frequently come for walks here. Some people do coffee, some people do lunch, but we do walks. Exercise, nature, fresh air, and catching up. And today Tiffany’s dog, Cleo, also came for a walk so it was a true girls day 😉
Friday, October 20th, 2017
In this day, I took more steps than when Paul and I visited the state fair.
18,600 steps.
And it was a wonderful day.
I was scheduled to assist Shelley with another shoot for Ames Percherons at Crow Hassan today, so I met a friend for a walk beforehand so we could catch up on life and so I could scout for fall color (above). We hadn’t gotten together since before Paul and I took our trip to Utah, and since then she had traveled to Romania, so there was a lot to catch up on and it was lovely.
Then there was the shoot with Ames. “Magic” is the word I would use to sum it up. Shelley is a lights-smith, and because I’ve been along on so many shoots now it’s so fun to be along for a shoot and being able to see just how the image will turn out. I can see her vision, and it’s neat to watch as it happens and then see the actual image afterward.
The bonus to this shoot? They asked us if we could stay to help hold horses while they tore down. Uh, yes. A hundred times yes.
Shelley and I both held either side of the team as they unhitched and it was another piece of an awesome puzzle for me. I could reach straight out and touch the bottom side of their chest. They are giants. And amazingly beautiful and gentle.
This is Marshal. While standing, he likes to make noise by slapping his lips together. While driving, he sticks his tongue out – the entire time. It’s comical! Look at those sweet eyes – he was loving the extra attention and love I was giving him. I also held Newt and Will, and watched them load them into the semi. How is it that they can give me so much joy? They are just purely incredible.
Friday, October 13th, 2017
Happy Friday the 13th!
Although the skies were overcast this morning, we were set on taking the boys for a ride today.
We were glad we did! The color was spectacular!
We’re big on fall trail rides as that means no bugs, but we always seem to miss the color. It was a fun treat. And at the park, not only do the leaves change, but the grasses change to vibrant colors as well.
Here are some other images from our ride:
Thursday, May 25th, 2017
We endure Minnesota winters for views like this.
The weather forecast for today looked beautiful, so this morning, Paul and I loaded the horses and went over to Crow Hassan Park for a ride. It was – dare I say it – perfect. No bugs, light breeze, partly cloudy, 70 degree goodness. And for it being the front end of Memorial Day Weekend, the park was surprisingly quiet; only three other trailers.
Paul and I worked a lot on Buck and Junior’s “Buddy sourness” over the winter along with confidence building. We found with these two, those go hand-in-hand. We started with one horse in the arena and the other tied right outside the fence, then we tied in the barn (but still within sight), and then we finally got to the point where we could take one out and leave the other in their stall. You can slowly see it working, but it doesn’t really sink in until you’re out on location and they don’t have to walk right next to each other anymore. See how far back I am? Had we let them, this would’ve been the pace they set for the whole ride. So refreshing!
Also, check out Paul! He was totally comfortable leading the ride and he rode like a seasoned pro. He’s worked hard on his skills, and worked a lot with Junior over this past year. His hard work and good habits with him has tuned Junior into a great mount, and is making them into an unstoppable pair. I am so proud of him!
Courtney Weinreis // A Borrowed Likeness 