Thunder in the River

Thunder in the River

By: Susan Schiller

Beauty came disguised as thunder in the river on this quiet summer day on the Tongue River in eastern Montana. Humans are a rare event in this rural country and the horses stood curiously in a stand of trees, just watching us paddle our canoe quietly downstream. All of the sudden the ground began to shake as hundreds of hooves pounded the bank above the cliff and a herd of horses raced to catch up with the rest of the herd on the other side of the river. It sounded like thunder!

I was fortunate to already have camera in hand and doubly fortunate to catch these magnificent beauties galloping in midstream. It's my favorite photo of this year.

I've been creating art with a simple digital camera, capturing as many rare moments as I can… moments of splendor, I think of them, because beauty changes you from the inside out. 

When you look for beauty, even in the ordinary places, you get surprised by joy, wonder, and a sense of peace.

The peaceful Tongue River twists and turns on itself, looping with the Cheyenne reservation on one bank and ranch after ranch on the other bank. Ducks, Great Blue Herons, and Bald Eagles were out fishing all up and down the river.

Practicing to be a statue, this Bald Eagle and her fledgling left me in a state of wonder. All of the other birds flew off at our approach, but not these veterans of the river!

There's an exchange of some sort that happens when you engage in a stare down with a bald eagle. I couldn't help but wonder what it must feel like to be utterly fearless, to be so strong, to not simply endure adversity but to use adversity as your updraft, taking you high above the storms of life.

From a sandbar in the middle of the river, where we set out our picnic lunch, my husband and I scavenged for the prettiest rocks. I want to create something with these rocks… I'm thinking of a terrarium, maybe. I'm not sure yet.

What have you captured today through the lens of your own perspective? What do you see with your inner eye and your outer eye? I'd love to hear and see what is happening in your part of the world!

From the series "Art Every Day"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Do you create art? It can be as simple as snapping a photo, twirling a crayon, or baking bread. It's your turn now! Do, please, share!

With all my love,

Sue

Susan Schiller knows how it feels to lose everything: marriage and family, church and reputation, finances and businesses, and more. Susan's upcoming, interactive memoir, "On the Way Home," tells the story of how she came to be known as "the most abused woman" her counselors had yet met and how she learned to navigate her way out of hell to a rich and satisfying life. In her lifetime, Susan has served in duties ranging from home school mom – to pastor –  to full-time deliverance minister – and to Midwest regional prayer coordinator for a large international ministry. These days you can usually find Susan soaking in her favorite hot springs pool, reading a book (or several), blogging, baking bread, or hanging out with her family and friends. You can pre-order a free copy of Susan's upcoming book, "On the Way Home" by registering here.

Copyright 2014, Susan Schiller, http://TeamFamilyOnline.com.  For reprint permission for any private or commercial use, in any form of media, please contact Susan Schiller.

Tagged as: Deborah White Dove