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Friday, October 11, 2013

{This Moment}: See Beautiful

For See Beautiful Friday, I want to show you the confidence that Shyla has gained over this past year. Her growing confidence is so beautiful to me.

Even for head-strong dogs, learning to do the teeter-totter in agility can be scary. This summer, Shyla grew to love doing the teeter-totter by learning it a tiny bit at a time with my encouragement. Now, when she has her front paws on it, I have trouble preventing her from trotting straight up it because she loves it.
After I give her the okay, she trots up to the fulcrum.
She knows what's going to happen next but she doesn't hesitate. She continues over the fulcrum and the the teeter starts to swing.
Shyla has the confidence to ride it down while continuing to move forward.
To me, this is the essence of beautiful. This is the product of building a bond of trust between Shyla and me. When I started teaching her agility this summer, I didn't expect that she'd learn to walk across at teeter-totter so soon. I thought that it would take a couple of years. However, I thought that the process of learning it would help build Shyla's confidence - so we embarked on the journey, and it took much less time than expected!

Together, day-by-day, we built that confidence one tiny iota at a time, and it's beautiful!

On other fronts, this has been a month of learning to accept that change is inevitable and learning to make the best of it. We had horrific floods, and I doubt that our world will return to "normal" in a year or even two. Yet, people are adapting and making the best of it.

Events like those of the last month truly show me that I want to seize each day - because I have no idea what will happen tomorrow.

As a relatively trivial example, look at this photo in a golden aspen grove that I took yesterday.
Yesterday, I felt like I was "wasting" too much time in that grove. Then, last night, high winds swept through our area with gusts up to 75 mph. This morning, I took Shyla's photo in the same grove.
Yes, a big change happened overnight. I'm so glad that I saw the beauty yesterday, and I took the time to soak it up. I most certainly was not "wasting" time.

Some of our more protected aspen groves still have leaves. This photo is also from this morning. We adapted to the overnight change and visited a different spot. It was beautiful.
And other spots of beauty still glowed if my eyes were open to see them. These are brilliant rose leaves. Notice the one thorn on the stem - a stark contrast to the leaves.
And, today, R's beautiful heart shined through as he stood by some remaining aspen leaves.
Like other things in my life are teaching me (all over again), time marches forward whether we want it to or not. Soon, all the groves will lose their leaves but I'll find a way to See Beautiful even in the starkness of the winter landscape.
I think that our happiness is mostly in our own hands. Seeing Beautiful is a state of mind that helps us to make it through tough changes with a sparkle of happiness still glowing in our eyes.


25 comments:

  1. Yesterday, today and tomorrow, nature's beauty in all stages, and Shyla's confidence, beauty in her feet balancing carefully. Love the leaf colours.Greetings from Jean

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  2. Beauty is fleeting, in nature, and the world in general. I try to soak up every good day, you never what the weather, or life will throw at you.

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  3. I conquer my fear through agility and it sure build my confidence too. Everyone should have a mind of Seeing Beauty. Golden LOVE. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  4. I can never get enough of your photos. Check out the amazing photo of R. Oh those beautiful eyes. And it is so great to have been able to observe Sweet Shyla on her path of growth over the last year. You always leave us with a smile.

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  5. You have definitely captured the essence of seeing beautiful. Lately I've been too caught up to really see beautiful. This post is a wake-up call for me. Thanks

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  6. I feel like you live in a very beautiful place. Even if you don't always "see" it, it shows through your photos and you see it even if you don't realize it. Thank you for sharing your world with us. Because I am a newer follower of your blog, I am curious as to why R doesn't go with you and Shyla very often. Is he healthy?

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  7. Your world is so stunning. All those colors, the temperatures, plants and the landscape itself changes so suddenly for you. Here, change is such a gradual thing that unless you're paying attention everything can fade together and suddenly there's change and you didn't see it coming. Such a difference.

    You can tell Shyla is much happier and more confident now. If you look back at your old photos of her, she seems so reserved and timid in them, whereas now she shines like a beacon.

    Nola's Mom

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  8. Shyla is fearless on that teeter! What a contrast that same path is today from yesterday! So glad you got that amazing picture of Shyla yesterday.

    Cindy

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  9. Hi Taffy,

    I forget to say it regularly - but R goes with my husband, "The Runner", on all of his outings. The Runner is an avid trail runner so the two of them explore the mountain trails daily together. No worries - R is very healthy except for one thing which makes agility off-limits for him - he had elbow dysplasia surgery as a pup so he's not allowed to do agility.

    Thanks for asking!

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  10. Good job Shyla. You are brave doing that teeter tottering thing
    Benny & Lily

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  11. Watching the muscular changes in Shyla's body as she does the teeter is great. So beautiful and strong. I loved all the pics today and you know, I am crackers over R, the former cracker dog!
    I don't know many people who would have had the smarts or the patience to bring Shyla to this place. Nice to know you!

    Jo, Stella and Zkhat

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  12. That wind was incredible! Can't believe all those leaves were blown off.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  13. What a beautiful post, KB! We love the Aspen grove both with and without all of the leaves. Autumn is so pretty!

    Love ya lots♥
    Mitch and Molly

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  14. i see beautiful every time i visit your blog!
    xoxo

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  15. Seeing beauty is another way of staying in the moment, I think. With winter coming, I have to keep reminding myself to focus on Right Now...and then the beauty is apparent. Lovely, lovely photographs!

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  16. thanks for such a beautiful reminder to see the beauty in life and to appreciate each moment.

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  17. What a wonderful story. The before/after change in the aspen grove was startling. Life is change, we have no choice but to adapt but as you say so well, we can choose to adapt with happiness. Thanks for the reminder to choose to be happy in the now.

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  18. Almost speechless... Jus sayin'. Totally spectacular and awesome..look for beauty in all things.
    Barb, Ernie and the crew

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  19. The two aspen grove photos are one of the loveliest representations of the evanescence f things I have seen recently.

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  20. You are so right! Happiness is in our own hands. We have the power to choose to be happy or sad, positive rather than negative, see the good rather than the bad.....

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  21. Good for you, Shyla. I was a little scared of the teeter at first too, but now I take it with a running leap and wait for Mom at the other end. :)

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  22. Hi KB, My brother was here this week and came from SLC through Vail-they said the trees and colors were peaking and glorious. Wishing I could get up to the high places-oh well. Like you said Seize today-time waits for no one. Love how Shyla has grown. I was out last night and for the first time in about 9 mos, he whined the entire time-drove my hubby crazy. Don't know what was happening with him. Hopefully it was just an off night for him.
    Have a great weekend and stay warm.
    Hugs, Noreen

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  23. That's a pretty significant change from one day to the next! I'm glad you had some time to enjoy those leaves while they lasted. I really love that picture of R, too! What a handsome boy he is. I think you do some pretty nice black dog photography yourself!

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  24. Oh, Shyla! You gaining such great confidence brought tears (happy ones) to my mom's face! THAT is truly beautiful!!!!
    Cammie!

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  25. Well done Shyla!!
    R is a great guy, how handsome!!

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