A Year of Gratitude – June 13, 2024

I found my gratitude in sitting still and watching nature today. It’s rare that I am away from the farm, but I was this morning. I was in Exeter, New Hampshire and decided to take a morning stroll to enjoy their downtown area.

I stopped at a local café and treated myself to an iced coffee. With coffee in hand, I walked the streets, window shopped, and smiled at every cute dog that walked by. Seeing them made me wish that Penny Lane had been able to come with me, but I loved smiling at them and thinking of her.

I walked down to their waterfront on the Squamscott River. It’s a lovely walkway with open green space, big trees, and benches to sit and enjoy the view. So, I sat and did just that.

I watched as ducks took flight. It made me laugh to watch them, to take note of how graceful the wild ducks are. It’s such a stark comparison to the clownish nature of the ducks we keep on the farm. They’re so goofy and clumsy compared to the graceful ducks I watched.

Then a heron landed right in front of where I was sitting. It’s a mere spot on this photo given how far away I was, but it was there. I watched it stretch its long legs, flap its wings, and plunge its beak into the water. It stayed for a bit before taking flight and moving to a different spot along the water.

I was glad to have found myself in that place at the right moment to just be a spectator. I was glad that I had given myself the few moments to sit and just be still. Otherwise, I would have missed it.

If you ever find yourself near Exeter, I hope that you’ll give yourself the time to stop and enjoy it. There’s so much to see and do and plenty of space to sit and just be there. If you need a recommendation for a great iced coffee, fabulous bookstore, or other great spots to stop, just send me a message and I’d be happy to share!

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.