[At the end of this posting is a slideshow you do not want to miss!]
With the unrelenting rain still in our midst, thoughts today shift to moments of tranquility. While the rain can definitely be soothing within melodic tunes, its rhythm can be somewhat unsettling as echoes of thunder break the silence and flashes of lightning zigzag across an already bleak sky. Let’s close our eyes and let our minds become absorbed in a less stressful atmosphere.
Picture this. . .
Cathy Marshall Two Sun Morning
A soft haze engulfs the scene as early morning fog slowly begins to lift. Everything in sight begins to shimmer with the earliest rays of sunlight casting reflections in droplets of dew. You are alone. With coffee cup in hand, you gaze out the window as eyes shift across the lake and begin to pan the horizon. Thoughts drift to the day before and events that now set the stage for all the tomorrows to come. What a great morning for a walk along the rocky shore of the lake! Coffee will have to wait.
Old Hickory Lake, Tennessee, USA
In the distance, you spy the old dock built by your grandfather when he was a young man, stout and strong. The visions of fishing with cane poles, laughing at his worn-out jokes, and hopes of catching ol’ granddaddy catfish bring on a soft laugh and a smile. You walk on. You stop at the dock peering down the long stretch of planks as it juts outward as if reaching for the other side of the lake but never making it. You pause.
Ol’ Granddaddy Catfish
As you stroll the dock, sunbeams engulf your whole being like a warm cloak being draped across your shoulders. You peer down at the water just in time to see tiny tadpoles dancing in the morning light. A splash a few yards away gets your attention knowing it is that ol’ granddaddy catfish teasing and tempting you to drop a freshly baited hook in the water. He will just have to be content on playing about in the water and enjoying one more day in the lake for on this day you do not have your fishing pole. His lucky day.
The panoramic view from the end of the dock is green with envy as the tree-line shore masks long forgotten cabins in the background. They had been abandoned many years earlier for the owner had died leaving no one as heir. Broken windows and battered boards shield only the ghosts that linger in the shadowy stillness of both the daylight and the darkness. You wonder about the stories that could be told if any of those old cabins could talk. But, perhaps, it is a good thing the remaining walls could not speak for you have far too many secrets of your own whose stories best not be aired.
Taking off your shoes, you lay them aside and take a seat on the end of the dock. Dangling your legs over the edge, your toes begin to swish back and forth across the top of the cool 
water disturbing the stillness of the lake with ripple after ripple. In the next few moments, you are completely surrounded by only the scenes of tranquility.
“Tranquil moments are treasured moments: moments where time seems to stand still, thoughts drift away to a magical place and worry becomes a thing of the past.” ~catnipoflife
Don’t leave without sharing your thoughts.
What do you ponder in your tranquil moments?
catnipoflife 
WOW, I am s-o-o-o relaxed! I think I’m too relaxed to ponder anything right now. Thanks for my “time-out”–it was wonderful!
Whoo! Hoo! It worked!
these make me want to stop writing and start painting
You know that is something I have had on the back burner way too long but it is this time thing. . .shouldn’t one day be 48-hrs for us writers and painters? Of course, if that were true, it probably wouldn’t make one iota of difference. LOL:>)
are you an artist too?
Yes, ma’am but it has been years since I picked up my artist brush. Maybe one of these days I will take some pictures and post them on catnip. :>)
I would love to see them
I will work on it just for you, my friend:>)
Delicious, thanks for uncovering calm, tranquil peaceful places we can choose to experience.Thanks
For some reason, this one went to spam. Thank you for visiting and acquiring a bit of catnip:>)
Mwah xxx
Really beautiful, I felt as though I was there. It reminded me of a lake in Conn that was close our house. I was a teenager and a rebel then, guess I still am…a rebel that is. I ran off and hitchhiked to Woodstock with my friends. I don’t think my mom appreciated that much. But I wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Now there’s a story to tell…
Dawn
Thank you, Dawn! That is exactly what I intended to happen with its reading…Yea! Woodstock was definitely became an icon of the 1960s hippie counterculture. Of course, it’s impact carried right on into the 70s. You might enjoy the post Groovy Times in Awakenings: http://awakenings2012.blogspot.com/search?q=groovy+times
I’m most relaxed in meditative prayer but this video was like a meditation itself–very lovely, very calming.
You nailed it Micki with meditative prayer. . .that is absolutely the essence of tranquility:>)
Thank you for this… I’ve stopped doing this since I entered the Hectic world of bloggIng…
Back to tranquillity !
Isn’t that the truth! It is not so much the blogging but all the email, Tweets and such that I find totally time consuming!
Hi Sharla! Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog today, it is so nice to meet you. What a beautiful blog you have and so peaceful! I love your descriptions of the dock and the catfish. You are a wonderful writer. Have a lovely evening ahead! Delisa 🙂 A.K.A “Dances With Yarn”
So you are Delisa! I did not make the connection to Dances with Yarn when Susie mentioned your name on Awakenings. I love your blog, too! I have been bogged with the blogs today (haha) and don’t remember if I started following you. Need to if I did not and would love for you to follow catnip. So glad we connected.
Sharla,
That is beautiful! Very nice writing, phrased just perfectly.
We used to fish for catfish too when I was kid, as I grew up in southern TX.
Sometimes I use the inclement weather as a prop of sorts, if I can take advantage of it in a scene I’m writing. It is nice to let tranquility in though, especially after a hectic day.
Sunni, if you have not read it already be sure to check out Inspiration: Red Wigglers? and the poem ‘Papa, Mr. catfish and Me!’ [https://catnipoflife.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/inspiration-red-wigglers/]
Thank you for stopping by for a visit:>)
Photos and words are exquisite. I love poetic essays (if that’s what they’re called. Thank you for sharing this relaxing art. ~ Peggy
WOW, Peggy! ‘Poetic essays” – what a beautiful description! May have to do some research on that expression or perhaps you have just coined a new one! Love it and so glad you enjoyed the writing:>)
I love the pictures, they make me relax. I love the words, they bring me to another place, found only in my mind. Thank you, Sharla, once again you have hit my heartstrings with happiness!
You are too kind, Deirdre! I am so glad you enjoyed. The blogging world has opened up new avenues of writing other than just the poetry so it greatly warms my heart when I receive responses such as yours:>)
I did not get to read your post until this morning at 5am, and it felt like i received a heavenly kiss from above…it was so soothing, so serene, so tranquil! I know that its peace will last throughout my day…thanks for the blessing dear sister Sharla! Have a very blessed day…also!
Wendell, thank you so much for the visit and gathering some relaxing catnip:>) It is so wonderful that my words were uplifting for you!
This is nice. I love rain, especially at night.
Oh, dear, Chief. I am just now seeing your visit to catnip! Hope all is well with you:>) Thank you for stopping by for some catnip!
I am just simply sighing here Sharla, How beautiful your words and soothing and the photographs, oh my! Yes indeed, wonderfully, beautifully tranquil. Our minds must indeed run in the same direction my friend. This is an excellent post! Thank you, Penny
So glad you visited, Penny! I love your posts, too!
Did you get my responses to your other earlier comments, I was very upset that your comments had accidently gone into the spam section, hopefully that won’t happen again! Penny
I am so behind! Email is killing me:>( I do hope they all posted. Just checked Spam. None there!
[…] [At the end of this posting is a slideshow you do not want to miss!] With the unrelenting rain still in our midst, thoughts today shift to moments of tranquility. While the rain can definitely be s… […]
[…] [At the end of this posting is a slideshow you do not want to miss!] With the unrelenting rain still in our midst, thoughts today shift to moments of tranquility. While the rain can definitely be s… […]