A Village Walk

This morning, I stepped out for another simple walk through the village. Camera slung over my shoulder. Nothing planned.

A few minutes into the walk I heard a concentration of voices up ahead - chanting, laughter, the unmistakable hum of people gathering. As I approached the house I realized a family was holding an annual ceremony to honor a loved one who had passed. Monks were assembled and neighbors were still arriving, quietly joining in.

Although it was already nearing its end, I moved carefully yet quickly into and through the yard, documenting the experience.

I was offered food and stayed a while longer. Just after the monks departed, a truck arrived carrying a brand new farm tractor. Within minutes a shrine was being prepared to bless the machine. The gathering quickly shifted into another ceremony.

Children ran through the yard. Dogs lay in the shade. Conversations floated through the air. And just a few feet away a herdsman tended to a cow being bred.

Then voices rose sharply, chants echoed, and prayers were offered as the tractor sat on a mat before them.

These pages offer a candid peek into a moment of daily village life. Ordinary and extraordinary often fold together into one here ... if you're paying attention.

For the people here in these small border villages, this is simply another day lived together as a community.