“I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”
Henry David Thoreau
From the moment I opened my eyes this morning, I had a strong sense that this would be an exceptionally good day. I had nothing in particular to base that on. It was just a feeling.
Maybe it’s something about February 15th. Two years ago today, a father-son crew began building our shed. Last year, a well-drilling rig arrived and hammered away at The Mountain in search of water, which took three days to find.
Today began ordinarily enough — dump tanks, burn trash. We took advantage of Deb’s day off from work to whisk Miss Smudge to the vet in Gassville for shots and a nail trim. Then it was on to Lowe’s for storage totes.
While we were in the neighborhood, we made a spontaneous detour to nearby Mountain Milling to explore our options for cedar paneling inside the cabin. We came away with prices and and a dose of much-needed inspiration.
When we made the turn onto the road up The Mountain, we saw that our neighbor’s garage door was up and we stopped to chat. Then came a phone call from a dear friend in Ohio, sharing great news from his life.
It was mid-afternoon when Deb suggested that we pull out the Ranger and ride up to her cousin’s place, and so we did. What followed was a reprise of what we used to do every time we “visited” The Mountain — long conversations about everything under the sun. I think we’ve all missed that.
Among today’s subjects — he’d bought a new American flag to fly from his porch and decided it needed a new pole. He spoke of his search for the perfect cedar, straight and sufficiently stout, which he found downslope from his cabin.
When Deb and I left to return Home, we couldn’t resist making one more run down the road and back. The light was low, the shadows long, the vibe magical.
Capping our daylight hours was yet another dramatic sunset.
So, then, was it an exceptional day?
Absolutely.
I can’t tell you why. There’s simply no explaining what’s simply understood.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable
#LetsGoBrandon #FJB