...apples... and Alannah. And a very fine day for a long hike with my oldest daughter. I do so love an overcast autumn afternoon for wandering backroads and tractor paths.
We headed out together after church, taking the road this time, passing the cows watching warily from the pasture.
She was the first to spot the tiny green apples. I followed her rabbit trail, watching her muse.
Conversation comes easily these days with this girl-turned-woman. Sometimes it is serious and pondering. More often on these walks it is just thinking out loud. Noticing. Exhaling.
Exhaling is important for girls-turned- young women looking down the road at a wide open and largely unknowable future just around the corner.
It is important for their mother's too, especially if they have sent other children down that road.
It is good to just BE with this girl because I know that like her brothers, each passing year now and each step she takes will take her further from home into the bigger world.
We won't always have all the time in the world for walking through orchards and gathering apples in our pockets. This is the last year of her childhood officially. Next fall she will be eighteen.
Knowing that, I consider an afternoon like this a singular gift.
And what a lovely young girl-turned-woman she is!
Posted by: Tracey | November 05, 2011 at 11:02 PM
Beautiful, Kim -- thoughts, photos, daughter :-)
What is that bird, do you know?
Posted by: Ellie | November 06, 2011 at 01:31 AM
I believe they are Magpies, which is rather cool because they were in CO too and we hadn't lived anyplace else with so many of them before moving there. There is a video of one here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nUr8JaIu88 We also have many blackbirds, crows, and hawks locally.
Posted by: Kim | November 06, 2011 at 02:25 AM
Just beautiful, Kim. Your daughter and the scenery. The bird does look like a magpie (or camp robber as they're known here locally). We live in CO and have them all over. As a matter of fact we have lots of blackbirds, crows and hawks as well. Small world. :)
Posted by: Kelly | November 06, 2011 at 05:39 AM
Magpie!!!
Posted by: macbeth | November 06, 2011 at 06:00 AM
There now see. I am getting better at this Macbeth ; D I want a longer zoom lens because I think I could really get into bird watching. But I have to get too close with mine and scare them away.
Posted by: Kim | November 06, 2011 at 08:56 AM
Just beautiful! +JMJ+
Posted by: annita | November 07, 2011 at 04:38 AM
Beautiful daughter, beautiful pictures!
Posted by: Timberlyn | November 07, 2011 at 08:13 PM
Definitely magpies! They are everywhere down in my husband's home prefecture, where we stayed after the big earthquake (and are, in fact the prefectural bird). I kind of miss those chatty, mischievous feathered friends.
What a beautiful post, Kim. What a treasure a daughter is, and Alannah is just simply shiny beautiful!
Posted by: Sue | November 09, 2011 at 12:23 AM
Kim, she looks so very grown up. Such a beautiful girl. xoxo
Posted by: Rebecca | November 09, 2011 at 03:34 AM
A beautiful blog post and a beautiful girl!
Posted by: Amy | November 10, 2011 at 07:11 PM
Loved this. Just loved it. Echoing everyone else -- all beautiful.
Posted by: Lisa | November 16, 2011 at 12:36 AM