Gratitude on a Monday Morning

Lately after uploading a few photos to flickr I noticed some of my contacts began contributing to a 30 Day Gratitude Group.  Decided that it would be a "good" thing to join up.  Simple enough, just take a photo each day during the month of "gratitude" commonly known as November, that you are grateful for and post it on flickr, adding it to the 30 Days of Gratitude Flickr group.  Since joining and contributing to all these photography groups I have such an awareness of what encircles my life each and every day. Instances that I have seen with my eyes day in and day out, but when captured through the lens of a camera become little pieces of art, or at the very least a wake-up call to appreciate even the simple details of a Monday morning.  So today I decided to note all that I was grateful for this morning.....

1)  The big maple tree in the front yard.  I love the shade it provides in the summer, the golden yellow beauty it blesses us with in the fall, but when the leaves begin to fall, not so much.

After a super windy weekend, most all of the leaves on that big beautiful maple tree came tumbling to the ground, ready for pick-up.  Today was the perfect day for raking leaves....absolutely still with not even a breeze blowing, and cool, so no worries about over-heating. (was also thankful for this, but failed to take pictures of the no wind and coolness in the air) 

2)  Thankful for big, lightweight, plastic, blue tarps to rake many leaves on, in order to drag said leaves onto the curb for future pick-up.  I don't know how many times I filled this tarp up and dragged the leaves to the curb, decided not to count, there was no prize awarded.  My front yard has a white picket fence surrounding it, with the only exit for leaves is thru the front gate.  It just becomes more efficient to do the "tarp thing". 

3)  A handy leaf blower, enough said.

4) A sip of coffee now and again for refuel. 

 5)  County trucks that come and pick up all these leaves, whew, thank goodness.

6)  Neighbors, they usually like to hang next door because of the apple tree in the front yard.  They drop by each day for snacks and tend to drop some things of their own as they leave.  May have to re-think grateful on this one. 

7)  My sweet Toby.  He keeps me company and watches for any predators that may come along... ie:squirrels

8)  The colors, those wonderful, wonderful colors of fall.  Have you ever seen such beautiful berries, they are like poetry in blue.  I find them every Fall on the vine that grows on the front fence.  I can't remember the kind of vine, but whatever it is, it produces these blue and deep purple berries in the fall. 

Linking this to Lisa's Creative Exchange.....  Come on over and visit

A simple list, but one to be mighty grateful for. 

"There is a calmness to a life lived in gratitude, a quiet joy."  ~  Ralph H. Blum

Until next time.......