Bright Spots

First, let me say I am not living on the streets today as I had feared I would be. My landlord's Five Day Notice expired yesterday, but thanks to some unexpected assistance from friends old and new, I managed to come up with my rent before close of business. So, a quick note of thanks is in order.

First, I want to thank an old buddy from High School that came up with a sizable donation Sunday afternoon that put me within "spittin' distance" of making August's rent. Thank you, Rein - you've no idea how much I appreciate your timely assistance.

Second, to my very good friend, Carole in Washington state, who quite unexpectedly gifted my cell phone with additional minutes via the internet. I wasn’t even aware that was possible, let alone that she planned to do so. Carole’s gift will be invaluable in contacting potential employers, and as such, very much appreciated. Thank you, Carole.

Third to my good friend Jim, who bought me lunch yesterday and provided me the final bit of “necessary” to make the rent. Jim also took the opportunity to give me some "straight from the hip" advice, that while not pleasant, was still appreciated. Believe it or not, Jim, I did listen to everything you said yesterday and am as gratified for your candor as I am for the lunch and the cash. From the heart, I thank you.

And finally, a note of thanks to another good friend who contacted me with a “freshly picked” contribution to include in my ongoing harvest, and the promise of additional donations each week. Rachel, I thank you as well - you're still my hero!

Ladies and gentlemen, while my current existence is not necessarily a pleasant one, it does have it’s moments. Moments such as those described above. The realization that while life may majorly suck, as long as you have friends who care, it's still worth living.

The collage attached to this post is another moment, albeit in another entire category. What you’re seeing is (I think - I'm no ornithologist) a Heron. I spotted it perched on a stump in a small cove in Busse Woods Forest Preserve. It was just after 6:00 AM, and there was still plenty of fog rising from the water. In another few minutes the sun would rise over the tree line and begin burning the fog away. I put my harvesting aside for a few moments, grabbed my camera and did my level best to capture the moment.

If not for my current situation, I'd have not been in Busse Woods at that hour of the morning and certainly would not have witnessed this Heron taking flight, let alone capture the moment. Given my druther's, I'd have preferred being home getting ready for work, but that's not currently an option. Getting a "private showing" of Nature's Glory ain't necessarily a bad thing. It certainly made my grim existence a bit more palatable for a short time...

More soon, friends...