Do You See It? I don't reckon I have ever been prouder to call myself an American than I am on this particular day. Do you perceive it? That bright, steely shaft of light driving straight through the looking-glass, scorching a most satisfying hole in the envious and resentful tribe who have long insisted that a person is powerless, helpless, and must therefore lean upon them as upon a crutch? These worthies blame the industrious for their own industry, and would cheerfully relieve them of the fruits of it, all the while preaching equality with the air of saints who have just invented virtue. They occupy seats of power, yet their chief occupation seems to be the cultivation of need and bitterness in others, the better to keep their own thrones secure. It is a curious feature of human nature, this fondness for building fences around other men's liberties while calling the enclosure *compassion*. Today the spotlight falls upon them with merciless clarity, and they cannot help themselves; their narcissism and hunger for dominion run too deep for concealment. They do not believe in liberty..except, of course, their own. What they truly desire is dependence: a nation of grateful petitioners forever beholden, forever grateful for the scraps from the table they themselves have set. I have waited some time for this bold illumination for all to see. It arrives like a overdue bill, and the debtors squirm most instructively. Do you see it? It's so obvious. I count myself fortunate to have been raised in what the world would call a poor family...one l was never clever enough to recognize as such. My mom worked three jobs with the quiet ferocity of a woman who had decided that circumstance was not her master. She took no handouts, asked for no assistance, and carried herself with a pride that needed no subsidy from the public purse. What we lacked in fine furnishings and fashionable gewgaws we more than recovered in love, in closeness, in the sturdy strength of people who faced life together and found the simple pleasures sufficient. It was, I maintain, the best sort of upbringing I could receive, though I doubt the "professional" activists and leftist politicians would agree; for it left one unfit for the role of a permanent dependent. TOO BAD. 🖕 From that foundation I chose my own path, made my own bargains with fortune, and reaped such rewards as honest effort yielded. I am no millionaire, nor billionaire, nor any other variety of financial potentate, and I confess I feel not the slightest inclination to begrudge those who are. They made their choices and walked their road, just as I made choices and walked mine. They labored, risked, and contrived; why should I now play the part of the highwayman and rob them of their earnings? The notion is as absurd, toxic, as it is immoral..and the lack of character. I am happy in their success and content in my own...an arrangement that strikes me as eminently fair. They have not stolen anything from me. One chooses to exchange or not. Such is the quiet miracle of liberty and freedom: it asks only that one stand upon his own feet and refrain from coveting his neighbor's boots. A simple enough creed, one would think.. yet how persistently some politicians and activists work to complicate it , sew division, steal from the doers & innovators....and convince people they are helpless without them. They want slaves to the system. Collectivism is trash. No. LIBERTY first.

Packing to move is for the birds! But took a break and these little ones put a smile on my face. They said to keep going. Nature is the best. Onward!! Have a great evening all.

It may be the season, or my journey why I'm sharing. Perhaps both. I've always been fascinated by Ravens. Sharp problem-solving skills, deep memory, and keen observation. Listeners. I paint them often. Here is one of my paintings. "Tell Me More" I've never viewed them as omens. Only listeners and truth tellers. Here ...I may be the Dragonfly. Oils on birchwood. Private collection in the UK. -J. Davis

There will be peace in the valley for me soon. Selle Valley, Idaho My journey.

I love this time of year. I love this poem. There is something bright in all. Have a peaceful evening. Tomorrow is a new day.

First day of fall, and she is gleefully escorting summer off the premises. The tongue is her farewell: short, unceremonious, and delivered from a full sprawl so no one mistakes it for extra work. She has always preferred to be a cool cat.

The wonder and peace that nature brings to my soul is sublime. The quieting of thoughts. But the vastness of the sea bestows a perspective like no other. A rhythm. Waves first. Worries later. Free. I do not journey to the far away sea as much as I would like...but those moments stay with me. This is me at Folly Beach, SC. It is still my top ocean trip ever for many reasons. I hope to return one day.

Every life storm serves to strip away the unstable whilst revealing what is genuinely strong, and resilient. "Family is a life jacket in the stormy sea of life"- J.K. Rowling I painted this long ago for a dear friend. I knew what it meant to her then, but I didn't realize how profoundly it would speak to me now.

The house press pool is being informed that they no longer have access to the clean pile of laundry just out of the dryer. One is not sure what to make of it. One is on the verge of tears. The other is getting ready to call her attorney.

Hello my friends. My journey. So many possibilities! It is wider than it looks. My layout is planned. There is also a loft in front, loft in back. One for storage, One for the grands for sleepovers. And a sweet front porch. It's level,on piers, and set in it's lovely spot on the farm. The packing and moving things into storage is the worst part at this juncture. Next UP!! Front porch steps! Thanks for following.

Tolkien's The Hobbit was first published and released on this day in 1937 as I'm sure you've seen others post about it today. I just wanted to share a very "precious" possession I have. A 1966 leather bound edition with Tolkien's beautiful illustrations in it's own Box cover of which is also lovely. It's mint. I thumb through it now again and that is all. I just keep re-reading my old paperback I got when I was 12 instead. It's almost on it's last legs. I may have to succumb to this one day.

She has joined the lineup and is hoping to be counted as a pair with no intention of lacing up. The boots have not objected. The expression suggests the arrangement is permanent and the paperwork can wait. "Puss and Boots" My photo. J-Davis.

"A picture is worth a thousand words." Indeed. Sometimes a capture is just right. This boy always insisted on helping me paint. Always an attentive companion. Here he sits in front of one of my works in progress canvas paintings one late night session in the fall of the year.

He has accepted the assignment, seized the evidence, and left the ground to settle its own affairs. The ball is the entire brief. Everything else may apply later. A fun little drawing of my friend's dog Baker. Watercolors and Charcoals. Happy Sunday!! Seize the Day!