Redefine your space

Last night I was surprised that the hay bundles were there, and tonight I was surprised that ALL of them were completely cleared from the fields.  That was a lot of work to be completed in one day.  I was also preoccupied by my neighbor walking into the fields ahead of me.  She lives right across from the part of the property being developed, and I had never seen her in there before.  The small white dot on the left side of the top image is actually her.

Stepping into the field, empty of its companions, seemed very new.  Since I've been making the trek for the past month or so, I got used to the hay bundles being there.  Something was definitely missing, so as I walked with Sparkle I had to adjust to the open space.  Following our passage through the first field, I entered the rear filed and experienced the same thing.  All were gone, and now the open field lay free with a clear view for its entirety.  The tree that always welcomed me to this back section looked so alone.  I took a few shots, and soon my neighbor approached and we began talking.

I learned that this was her first time walking through the property since it stopped functioning as a farm years ago.  She said that there were always fences, barricades, and livestock, and wasn't able to venture through the fields.  I appreciated her wonder as she recalled memories of the place she knew and adjusted to the place of now.  She used to have a friend who lived on a nearby street and would stable her horse at the farm.  They both went horse back riding on the property, so she's explored the same places that I've seen.  I especially liked her description of the baby animals whose cries would reach her home.  It's hard to imagine considering the sounds of the nearby interstate and construction are what surrounds us today.

I'm made to realize that when things change I've got to let go of the mindset that something is missing.  It's good to remember just like my neighbor did and I do with the special images I've liked seeing in that space.  What will help me redefine is being open to the new - what will I notice and create without the familiar there.  Already on the way out, I turned behind me to the east to the bright star hanging high in the sky, then back to the west to the other bright star appearing low to the tree line.  It was a good mind path to take me home.