Walking the dogs several times a day means I get to see the subtle changes that happen in the pasture as the seasons turn.While walking the dogs is part of the crew’s chore routine, I also walk them every day. Usually early in the morning (when I need to be alone to wake up nicely) and the evening right after work (to relax into our home life after the busy day).

Coal also insists that I take him for a walk every evening after dinner.

By insists, I mean that every evening after I clean up from dinner and sit down, he sits down in front of me, puts his paw on my leg, and barks at me until I get back up and take him for a walk. It’s obnoxious. And it’s the only bad habit I tolerate because, well, the walk is good for me. I only get out of it if I go to bed instead. {smile} Even if someone else walks him for me, he just comes over and plops himself down when they get back and starts barking at me.

So I get lots of time to notice all the subtleness in the pastures.

Like how “grass” is actually all different kinds of plants that make up the diverse whole.

And how my husband mows around the flowers because he knows I’ll enjoy seeing them.

And how some weeds are just as lovely as the “valuable” plants. (We define a weed as simply being a plant growing in the wrong place at the wrong time.)

And how the clouds are always changing, always different, always new.

And I’m always amazed by how there are a thousand different shades of color across the sky every day. From steel gray, to blue, to purple, to brilliant red and fire orange, and soft pink with golden yellow. How the trees look pale just before a storm because their leaves all turn over, and the grass looks neon just afterward because the trees are so dark in contrast.

Night coming down on the farm

One day, when I’m not in the hustle of parenting quite so much, I can’t wait to take some photography classes and try even harder to capture some of the beauty I see every day. My photos just never seem to quite convey it the way I feel it when I see it. Meanwhile, I’ve learned not to let that stop me from snapping away!

Do you take a lot of pictures? Have you taken formal photography training? If you have any recommendations, I’d love to hear them!