Sunrise and Sunset

January 25, 2011 by ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ Leave a Comment

Yesterday evening, as I was out doing chores I caught the saddle horses goofing off. The sun was just shining out of some clouds and it dusk was upon us. I didn’t have the big camera with me, so the cell phone photos will have to suffice. They turned out pretty good for being taken with a point and shoot camera.

And then this morning, I awoke to this:

To me a sunset is more than just a beautiful sky. It’s the end of a day. It’s a chance to reflect on what you did that day. Were you were the best person you could have been? Did you accomplish what you wanted to do? Can you rest knowing you did all you could do to be your best that day?

The sun rising, well it’s more of the same. It may be beautiful, with its pinks and purples, but if you really think about what it symbolizes- the awakening of the earth and the animals from their slumber, it’s a chance to start over. No two sunrises and sunsets are ever the same, just like our days shouldn’t be either. We should always strive to be better and more beautiful.

I will now leave you with some of my favorite lyrics from Fiddler on the Roof.

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

Happy Trails!

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About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.