Pretty Ugly

Most of the time, we can do a lot with a camera to create a beautiful scene.  We can work with angles and perspectives, and we can cut out or crop the nonesthetics even before taking the picture.  

We can also edit our images with programs that enhance light, color, even mood. 

I love the tool in my editing program which allows me to remove blemishes on the image----sometimes even wrinkles. 

I'm thinking of my own face with that last example cuz spending too much time in the sunlight over a lifetime has provided me with an abundance of facial wrinkles.

The problem with my face is "where do you start?"

In a nutshell, it's a great time to have a camera or even a cell phone to capture pretty much everything we deem important in our lives. 

And, so, I don't want to be accused of lying----lying by omission, that is. 

Sometimes we tell the truth but maybe not all of it. 

Most of the images I publish on this blog or on Facebook portray solely the ideals of our life experiences. So, many of those images have big smiles, pretty flowers, drop-dead beauty or idyllic settings.  

After all, who wants to look at ugly?

Well, folks, this morning you're gonna get to look at ugly!

Aren't you thrilled, 'specially those of you sipping you coffee in the desert sun or on some island in Paradise maybe thinking about the poor saps back home.  

You know, those folks complaining and moaning cuz they've got too work to do and it's STILL JANUARY.

Before someone starts thinking, oh, there she goes again, I must interject that I actually had some fun with ugly yesterday. 

After the morning survival of starting my day maneuvering through barnyard mine field and driveway skating rink and across the South Center Valley pothole challenge, I actually pulled out the tractor in the afternoon and prepared an improvement to my morning chores. 

With the rear plow, I scraped away a layer of ice and snow in the driveway, which meant really not needing yaktrax this morning. 

But, you know me:   too lazy to bend over and take off the yaktrax. So, I wore them anyway. 

I also used the tractor loader to remove sections of five-foot piles of snow from outside the barnyard fence. 

During this time, the rain actually stopped for a while and the moderately warm air had a hint of spring. 

So, it was fun. 

I also used a shovel and cleared a path from the sliding glass door to another path across the west lawn.  Finally, I widened a narrow path leading to the water tank. 

Most of this work allowed me to stay out of the barnyard this morning, drive my cart with relative ease, pull up to the openings and throw hay over the fence for the horses. 

Much better and much safer than the barnyard obstacle course in the dark. 

I also noticed while walking out to get the paper (again with relative ease and more of a "skip" to my step) that genuine daylight was a-coming from over the Cabinet Mountains. 

Definitely a feel-good moment, knowing that fairly soon, the darkness factor will be a moot point in doing morning chores. 

Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do with the tractor or my camera or an editing program to hide that fact that it's "pretty ugly" in these parts right now. 

Like anything, we do have to experience the good, the bad and the ugly here in what we love to call God's Country.  After all, God has to deal with Mother Nature too. 

A longtime friend of mine moved to North Idaho from Florida back in the mid-1970s.  

I often think of the advice given to her and her family after they had paid a visit to the area during the summer and thought it was the promised land.

Of course, they went to a realtor.  I don't think it was a realtor who gave them some wise advice.  I think, instead, it was someone who just plain lived here, year round, on a farm.

The advice generally goes as such:  if you think you want to move here, come back and visit in January and not just at the ski hill. Spend some time getting to know North Idaho at its worst.

Then, decide. 

My friend has never left, but I have a feeling she would dish out the same advice. 

We do tend, sometimes, to embellish the stunning beauty of this place we call home, and so we might just be guilty of lying by omission. 

Since I don't want to confess to lying if I ever go to Confession again, I'll leave you today with these lovely photos.    

I have another friend who loved to use the phrase, "new frontiers in . . . ."

Well, I do believe the past couple of days have offered new frontiers in just how ugly this place can get. 

It will get better, and just five more days in January. 

Happy Sunday.