Day 13 and 14

Day 13 - New Mexico,Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas - woke up around 8 am with the wind rocking the trailer, buttoned everything up and drove five hours to the RV Park where we were to stay the night. Got on PJs ate a delicious meal Jennifer cooked for us, pigs in a blanket, homemade Mac and cheese (not the box stuff) and baked beans, yummy. Drifted into a fitful sleep and then decided around 6pm that I had sufficiently been refreshed and asked the family if they wanted to just go ahead and drive the rest of the way home tonight. They all agreed, home for the New Year! So back into the vehicle and another 6 hours later saw us finishing another riveting audio book (the Clockwork Angel) and pulling into the gates of Ft. Leavenworth at 11:59pm December 31st, 2010.

Day 14- 12:00am, January 1st, 2011 we had just driven on Post into a blur of flashing police car lights, cones, and MPs directing us with flashlights into a sobriety checkpoint. We were waved into a narrow set of cones that had to be moved aside right before I could run over them, not a good start to a sobriety check point I would Imagine. I could hear our two German Shepherds barking like crazy as the MPs brought up a working dog to sniff the vehicle. "You folks going or just coming back?" He asked. "Just now coming back from 3368 miles worth of road trip." I said. "Wow, could I see your registration and insurance please?" we handed him the registration but couldn't find the insurance at all. It's USAA and current but we couldn't find it. The dogs were going crazy and the working dog was barking back, I hoped the MP realized it was because of our puppies, not because he found something suspicious. The MP said "I see the dogs are getting to know each other. You don't have to worry though, unless you have a bomb." at that second my heart missed a beat, Jennifer was rearranging papers in the glove box, and between the seats looking for the Insurance and I saw one small piece of paper partially covering the metal shape of a grenade in the cubby beneath the radio. It was the grenade we had purchased at the Army surplus store at the start of our trip. It was hollowed out, but still had a pin in it, and looked extremely real. Jennifer reached for the piece of paper covering it right as the MP said "Y'all have had a long trip. Go home, get some rest, and just make sure you have the insurance available next time." "Yes sir, Happy New Year!" We pulled away with the bomb sniffing dog still barking (not at my grenade I know, at my dogs, but still Im sure the inspection would have been far more thorough had he seen it unexpectedly exposed.) We pulled into the house, met a grateful Kitty who had been impatiently awaiting our return, and I made a New Year's Resolution to not leave my Army Surplus purchases in the cab of my truck anymore. Happy NewYear! What a fun end to a great road trip!

Day 11 and 12

Day 11 - made it to Larry's house and had Christmas all over again. Gifts were exchanged, cousins got to meet each other for the first time it was pretty cool. Being in El Paso wanted to go to an authentic Tex Mex restaurant for breakfast so Jennifer chose IHOP. It was still good though. Had a wonderful visit.

Day 12- Drove onto Ft Bliss. It might as well be called the city of Ft Bliss nowadays, it's huge! The PX is literally a mall. So much larger than when we lived here back in 97. Drove by the spot where Larry pinned me on from Specialist to 1st Lt as a Commissioned Officer. He was a Staff Sergeant. Now he is retiring from the Army as a 1SG and I am a senior CPT. Wow this trip has been one of cool memories seeing where God has brought us from. About 1:00pm decided to get on the road. It's pretty high winds but figured we'd be fine. High winds quickly turned to massive dust storm with little visibility. Dust storm turned to muddy rain, then to hail. Made it to New Mexico, turned to a blizzard with zero visibility. Driving 20 miles an hour down what I thought to be the center of the freeway. I could not see any lines on the road in the four to five feet ahead of the car the headlights let me see. Red hazard lights in the ditch on the side of the road.  Several cars had slid off the road into each other, tow trucks trying to pull them out. Driving 15mph down the center of the freeway. The road signs on either side of the road were the only thing I could see so I used them like goal posts to keep the truck and camper between, scooting over slightly when oncoming traffic came toward me at their own 10 mile an hour pace. Prayed as a family for better visibility because this was just plain crazy scary driving. I didn't want to pull over because I couldn't see if "over" was a ditch we would be stuck in and New Mexico on this particular stretch had no exits for over 50 miles. Believe it or not right after our prayer we came up behind the first set of taillights I had seen since the snow started. A big semi truck. I used his lights as a guide to stay on the road and we made it to Tucumcari to a truck stop where we gratefully spent the night. Wow, fun times!

Day 10

Day 10 - Drove for 11 hours today. That was not the intention when we started out. We would cut the distance to El Paso a little more than in half and then stop at a rest area for the night, leaving three or four hours the next day to complete the trip. However we bought at half price books an audio book called "The Princess of Landover" that was filled with magic kingdoms, and knights and sword fights and daring escapes and before we knew it we were on the outskirts of El Paso 11 hours later. There was one notable diversion to the trip, as we drove through Abilene, Texas I had to swerve off to a little back route on Highway 36 to a tiny little building with a faded sign that could still be made out as reading CAFE. We stopped the vehicle and took copious amounts of pictures at what passersby might have thought was open plains, and a broken down building. To me it was my childhood and the start of a grand adventure 22 years ago, when I was still a teenager. My parents had owned the highway 36 CAFE and we lived in a little trailer beside it. The trailer was gone now, but I could still see it as I stood there with my family. 22 years ago I had stood in that very spot and decided to run away from home. Looking up into the Texas night sky seeing millions upon millions of stars I had been overwhelmed by the fact that God might actually exist and so I told Him, "God, if You do exist, You are the only one big enough to solve my problems. I make a New Year's resolution to get closer to You." instead of running away the next day I told my mother of my resolution and soon after she told me someone would be picking me up for church the next Sunday. I couldn't ever remember going to church, but I pictured large women in choir robes singing in opera voices and wasn't looking forward to it at all. On Sunday a biker came into the Cafe. Leather vests, random chains as clothing accessories, tattoos on every visible piece of skin. He asked "are you Stephen Dicks?" and I asked back a little nervously, "Who wants to know?" He said "I'm here to take you to church. My name is Mr. Kirby". I looked in the parking lot and the only vehicle beside our own was a Harley Davidson motorcycle and I thought "Church might not be so bad after all." At Potosi Baptist Church I met the Smith family who befriended me and gave me my very first Bible. Kevin Simmons the youth pastor taught me how Jesus had died for me personally and was resurrected to give me forgiveness and eternal life as an adopted Child of God! In the little trailer by the side of a less than frequently visited little Cafe I asked Jesus to save me. That if God allowed me to be His child I would follow Him even if I fell on my face for trying to do so. In that little piece of Texas 22 years ago my life changed forever. So now as a full-time Christian Chaplain for Soldiers of the United States Army, with a beautiful and loving wife and four children who each on their own have asked Jesus into their hearts as well I stood on the exact spot where Christ had answered my prayers and adopted me so long ago. A few miles down the road brought hugs and pictures with Mr. And Mrs. Smith. A little farther down the road and we pulled up to a little automotive body shop with a flag outside that said "Dont tread on me" and a shop inside filled with motorcycles. An older Mr Kirby was just opening the garage door when I walked over to him told him "You may not remember me sir, but my life was changed because you decided to give a teenager a ride to church on the back of your motorcycle one day. My children have grown up hearing about my first ride to church, I'd like you to meet them." All four children piled out of the vehicle and said "Is this Mr. Kirby?" and then smothered him in hugs. When I looked at his face he was openly weeping and yet with the biggest smile I have ever seen. He then said "This is now the perfect day, Jesus can come back right now if He wants to." I made sure before we left I got several pictures of Mr. Kirby and I by his motorcycle. Thank You Lord for the journey You've taken me on, the people I've met along the way, and the adventures still yet to come!

Day 9

Day 9 - Drove to Verizon and picked up a portable hotspot device so I can have internet wherever I happen to be.  $100 was worth it for Mafia Wars, right up until the time we got back to DAV, turned on the internet and discovered it is free when ordered online.  Thank you catch 22.  Got to go from surfing the internet at super high speed to walking as slow as an ancient dinosaur in a riverbed.  We balanced on slippery rocks and gazed at dino tracks that have been around since Neil Diamond was popular, it was pretty fun.  Out of the 6 of us only Kaylee took a nose dive in the river on the way back to the vehicle, pretty successful I'd say.  A good nights sleep and then off towards my brothers house tomorrow.

Day 8

Day 8
Drove to Glenrose, Texas, set up DAV and then went to Fossil Rim Wildlife Preserve. While setting up Dav I found several fossilized sea shells among the gravel of the park which set Stevies, Tina and myself off on a quest around the campsite for fossils. We found shirt loads worth! Fossilized sea-shells, petrified wood (although I'm not sure what it was so scared about), fossilized bones, claw, and a big sharp fossilized tooth! Wow! And that was just in our campsite.  Tomorrow we will head to the dinosaur park to see all the Dino tracks in the local riverbed. In the meantime we drove to the wildlife preserve. It was one of the kinds that you drive slowly through and the animals all come up to the vehicle and peek their heads in the windows.  The kiddos were laughing and dodging zebra tongues and emu beaks, taking hundreds of pictures! What a fun day!

Day 6

Day 6 - Texas
Made it to Gamma and Auntie Mels house.  Sat in front of a beautiful Christmas tree and passed out presents.  We were just going to do our one nightly present like we have been doing, then open the rest on Christmas morning.  Tonight however, everyone went around the room saying what they were thankful for for Gamma and after we had finished a teary-eyed Gamma passed out all the gifts to the kiddos.  Snuggled into pajamas the little ones (such as they are being almost as tall as me) camped out in Gammas house while Jen and I went for a date night in DAV (Dicks Adventure Vehicle).  And what was our romantic film of choice?  "The Other Guys" with Will Ferrell and Mark Walberg, super funny! Merry Christmas Eve.

Day 7 - Christmas!
Delicious pork tenderloins, mashed potatoes, mesquite flavored beans, yummy.  The kiddos were sitting at one table, and the grown ups at another when Auntie Mel made the observation that the kiddos had wine glasses (filled with sparkling grape juice) and the adults all had sippie cups (travel Tumblers filled with iced tea). Christmas music, the A-Team, and playing with presents, what a fun day! Took a trip to Rockwall, Texas to see Pastor Barnes and Shirley Barnes.  He is 76 years old and long since retired but he will always be pastor Barnes to me.  He has always been like a surrogate father to me growing up in Arizona.  He was there through my heartaches, heartbreaks, joys, hearthrobs, and eventually married Jennifer and I some 15 years ago.  Even when I was in Iraq and had some of my darkest days I would call him and ask "Pastor, is Jesus still on His throne?" and he would say "You know what son, He still is." and as long as he said it was so I believed it and the world was still right side up.  It was a great visit.  Back at Mom and Auntie Mels, will head out to Glenrose tomorrow!  Merry Christmas!

Dicks in Arkansas

Day 5 - Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas
Loaded the vehicle, closed up camp and bade farewell to Tennessee.  The plan was to drive about three or four hours then stop for the night leaving another four or five hours in the morning to mom and sisters house.  I was so rested I drove for about nine hours before stopping on the Texas-Arkansas border.  I suppose one reason for hastening my way through Arkansas came at a Shell gas station.  I pulled in and went to drive to the farthest pump so I could pull straight through after getting gas.  As I rounded the left turn to get to that side of the pump I came face to face with a two foot curb blocking the parking lot from the adjacent lot and keeping me from completing my turn.  The result was I had all but jackknifed the trailer cutting off two rows of gas getters from exiting.  Backing out was the only option.  Jen headed inside with the kiddos for bathroom breaks and I set myself to easing out of what I had just squeezed myself into.  The gentlemen at the pump in front of me walked over and said "I believe if you back up you'll be able to get out of here ok."  I said, while stopping my backward progression to speak to him, "I believe you're right Sir."  He said "Let me go back there and guide you back."  That was very kind.  He waved me back, I backed up.  He waved me back some more, I backed some more.  He waved me back some more...BAM!  The vehicle lurched to a stop against something very solid.  To my surprize he waved me back some more, I didn't comply.  Sticking my head out the window and looking at him to ensure he really was waving me back still I said, "What did I just hit?"  He strolled to the window, scratched his chin and said "I thought that was just a bush but it was apparently a rock.  You bent up your bumper a little bit."  And then he got in his Arkansas plated vehicle and drove away.  Jennifer came out and said "Why are you butted up against that boulder?"  I found it easy to keep driving until I was in Texas.

Road Trip Day 4

Day 4 - Woke up late to the smell of fresh coffee and the smiling faces of footy-pajamaed angels. Drove into the edge of town to a small movie theater to watch Narnia Voyage of the Dawn Treader. It was scheduled to start at 1145. 1130 Jennifer walked to the door as we stayed in the car to purchase the tickets. After a few minutes she came back and said "she ignored me. The doors were locked and when I asked when they would open up she just went about her business." after a few minutes another couple walked to the door and she opened it spoke to them then let them in. The same thing with a second couple so we all piled out of the vehicle to enter, but when we got to the door the young lady opened it and said "I'm sorry, we're not open yet." and closed the door again. Jennifer and the kiddos turned to go back to the vehicle but I was kinda frustrated.  Perhaps I had "tourist" on my t-shirt and this was a locals only showing. So I knocked on the glass and she opened it again. "I'm sorry, when are you going to open?" "I'm not sure Sir." "Doesn't the movie start in just a few minutes?" "I'm not sure Sir." Now I am frustrated. "You don't know when the movie starts or when you open?" "No Sir." She was about to close the door again when I noticed the other two couples she had already let in milling about the lobby while I was standing in the chilly air. "Do you often not know when you open?" "No sir this is the first time this has ever happened." I'm just about to be witty with a slight sarcastic barb to make myself feel better when I see tears well up in her eyes and she starts crying. "I'm the acting manager and the registers are all down, I don't know how to charge the tickets without them, I'm on the phone with the manager and he just yelled at me for letting people in." tears are streaming down her face, I am officially a huge jerk face. I tell her I am so sorry and it will be ok and then I slink back to the cave of my car. In about three minutes the doors open, register issues resolved. The movie was awesome, all about being nice to people because Aslan is watching, hidden moral to the movie...I'm a huge jerk face, but Jesus loves me. Another cool night with the fam!
We planned it out so that each evening the kiddos could open up one present each, but first everyone says something they are thankful for about one of the family members. Day one what we were thankful for about Jesus. Day two, about Stevies, day three about Tina, and tonight about Kaylee. It's so cool being a part of this family. What a fun road trip so far!

Road trip day 3

Road trip day 3 - Biscuits, eggs, sausage and bacon breakfast. Off to the Parthenon. The way this trip works is each kiddo picks a state and then is responsible for where we go and what we see in that state. Ashley picked Tennessee. Her choice was the Parthenon, the 1890's replica of the ancient Greek temple of Athena. The amazing statues and incredible architecture were worth the drive if that was the only thing we came on this trip for. Walking through the building admiring fine paintings and reading up on ancient history I am so proud of my eldest daughter for her cultural awareness and fine sense of taste in art. I was just about to tell her this when I saw her frowning in front of the large statue of Athena and looking around grumpily. "what's wrong Ashley?" "there's no water fountain or bathroom in this room!" "Well baby I don't think the ancient Greeks had those things in the original either." "But they were here in the Percy Jackson movie, this is so unrealistic." and that's when I knew we were here because of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. Oh well.
Then it was off to Broadway to see some real ancient American history...the Grand Ole Opre, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and a lot of souvenir shops. Fun times. Now it's back to the campsite for some roasted hotdogs and of course watching Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief for some realistic water fountain and bathroom scenes in the Nashville parthenon.

Day 1 - Kansas, Missouri, Illinois.
     Saw the Saint Louis Arch! Parked at a rest stop between several big rigs. Can't get the heater to work! Brrr!

Day 2 - Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee.
     Woke up with dead battery on the trailer couldn't get the extension to close because of it. Drove with it out illegally for a few miles to a little all American town called New Baden. Old man Gary charged the battery and recommended we go to breakfast across the street at Good Old Days restaurant while it charged. The sign out front said "Food so good you'll think we stole your Grandmother!" the food was wonderful, feel free to keep grandma if that's the result. Went back to old Gary he refused to let me pay when he found out I was in the military.  Drove  to Metropolis, Missouri.  Took pictures by a twenty foot Superman. Went by the local newspaper building - the Daily Planet - and picked up a couple of copies, was told Clark Kent and Lois Lane were out on assignment covering a story, but the nice lady still gave us Clark and Lois' business cards, as well as Jimmy Olsen's and Perry Whites.  Went to a Superman store and Ashley bought a kryptonite ring. Tina took one off the shelf, held it to my face and said "you're getting weaker go to sleep Daddy." And then she gave a villain laugh.  I don't know if I should be happy my daughter thinks I'm Superman, or worried she wanted to knock Superman out in order to unleash her nefarious plans against the undefended city in my weakened state.  Found out that Metropolis is next to Massac, Missouri where Clark (The older brother of the famous Explorer Clark, Lewis' buddy) earned a statue of himself for crossing over the Ohio into Massac and taking Illinois for General George Washington during the American Revolution.  It is also where the Bird Man of Alcatraz is buried. We then crossed the Tennessee river (singing Alabama's Tennessee river and a mountain man, we get together anytime we can.) parked for a few days stay at the Nashville Country Park.

The Pictures on the Wall

(For Lee)

     More than just a picture on the wall.

Frozen smiles can never transport the thunder of his laughter.

     More than just a memory left dusty in a dim-lit hall

8 ½ by 11 can never hope to capture the depths and heights of my dad’s ever after.

  

  Eternity can’t be seen in the glossy photo framed,

But if you’d seen those eyes as they twinkled and gleamed

     When life danced within them wildly

You’d know the passion that’s seldom named

     And never known by lives lived idly.

To be caught in his embrace was to be wrapped in steel

     And a heartbeat away from Heaven’s home.

The picture on the wall can’t make you feel safe like I feel

     With just one breath of his cologne.

The silver hair on his head and chin

     In the picture so dignified

Used to mercilessly tickle his little grandchildren

     Making them screech with laughter ‘till they cried.

Then picture on the wall shows a man about to fish

     But for what you cannot tell

Yet I knew that fisherman whose deepest wish

     Was to reel men’s souls back from the lake of hell.

In a recliner with puppies or grandchildren on his knees

     An open Bible on his lap and glasses slipping down his nose,

Would sit snoring a saint in volumes of varying degrees.

     And among the memories I’ll treasure the most will have to be those.

The picture on the wall shows him smile

     As though that’s all he’d ever do.

But I saw Lee’s angry volcano erupt for quite awhile

     When a puppy snatched his steak off the Bar-B-Que.

I’ll not remove the saint from sinner

     That’s something only Jesus should do.

For they both together made up the man that I remember

     And I remember more than a picture

Even if that’s all I have left to cling to.

    

So until Heaven holds us both in its vibrant halls

Dad please know I love you

     Much more than these pictures on the walls.

The Preacher Clothed in Brown

     The preacher clothed in brown is a sinner son.

He doesn’t preach in city pulpits or country towns.

     The preacher clothed in brown is in prison son.

He’s called by numbers instead of his name by soldiers making rounds.

     What does the preacher wearing brown say dad?

Does he say he’s sorry for what he’s done?

     What did the preacher wearing brown do dad?

To make him stay in prison even after his preaching’s done?

     The preacher wearing brown preaches Jesus son,

The same Jesus that your daddy preaches of.

     The preacher wearing brown just did some sinning son,

But that sinnings been forgiven, just like ours by Jesus’ love.

     If his sins have been forgiven dad,

Then why’s he still in prison, this preacher all in brown?

     If his sins have been forgiven dad,

Shouldn’t he be at home asleepin, in comfort layin down?

     Even forgiven sins have consequences,

That need atoning for on Earth.

     But his slates been wiped clean by God son,

And that’s what truly decides his worth.

     I heard this preacher preachin son,

The Gospel plain and clear.

     No fluff, no flowers, no tiptoein in his message son

And all the men were payin him attention there.

     He told of Jesus’ death and resurrection

This preacher clothed in brown,

     Of Heavenly judgment and acquittal

And of the Holy Spirit comin down.

     And as the preacher preached son,

His prison uniform of brown

     It seemed to me transformed itself into a robe of white son

And on his head appeared a crown.

     The preacher clothed in brown is a saint son.

The child of our Heavenly King.

     The preacher clothed in brown is family son

Which makes him more precious than anything.

     There is a preacher clothed in brown

But only to our eyes.

     For Jesus sees him all in white

With eternity his prize.

     There is a preacher clothed in brown

But only to our eyes.

     Whom God Himself, will one day

Proudly recognize.

The Thunderstorm

Drip drop drip drop whisper rush rain.
Tilt head, taste heaven, laugh to no one in particular.
Pouring now, melting clothes, running people fade.
Darkened sky, the lightning shows’ spectacular.
Feel the rumble tumble thunder that an artistic God has made.
Drop drip drop drip rushing rivers slip through cloudy drains.

Thunderstorms give birth to hot chocolaty mug filled hands
And feet filled socks tucked comfortably into warm pajamas.
Knees to chest and mug to lips if only for its steamy blanket on chilly cheeks.
Blessed aloneness while surrounded by the company of the only One who truly understands us.
Smell the moisture gentle mist rolling softly onto the porch that will be glistening now for weeks.
Face illuminated by the white hot lightning branching across the night painted lands.

Fade to Sapphire then to black, a ghostly image of the bolt still dances in front of my eyes.
Feel the rumble in my chest shakes the land shakes the sky.
Who put the pen to this masterpiece that I alone am hearing?
Who holds the brush that paints the strokes that I alone can spy?
Who authored the storm that tells the tale of life and love in a way that’s so endearing?
Master poet, Master painter whose script and canvas are the skies.

Drip drop drip drop whispered rain is hushed
Lower head, thank heaven sigh to no one in particular
Tilt cup, final vestige of chocolaty memories drip cool upon my tongue.
Pause on the threshold of the safe haven where no thunderstorms may pass for reasons inexplicable.
Remember the rumble tumble thunder from the song a poetic God just sung.
Drop drip drop drip soft I slip into pleasant dreams with my soul no longer feeling rushed

WISDOM

(As far as I can describe it from the vantage point of my 34^th year)

     Wisdom was my greatest pledge

Fair knowledge sharpened by life’s edge

     Such weaponry was my aim.

So joined I unto the war,

     Which sapped youth’s flower to the core

And forever changed my name.

    Glory and honor, strength and might

A man of God clothed like men of night

     A soldier I was born.

Unto the sands, ‘neath the banner

     Clasp the hands, slick red from the manner

Of death this battle has brought them for me to mourn.

     Forever for me to mourn.

     Glory and honor, these are the dead’s

And forever their badges shall be.

     Alone and forgotten, are the soldiers still living

By all but their painful memories,

     And by a Chaplain who writes a verse.

Who, remembering, writes a verse.

     Why are the living to mourn those laid low?

Should they not live before they cannot?

     Why are the dead so peacefully so,

When it’s their deaths that cause the living to rot?

     Oh wisdom!  Why is it pain and life that buys you?

Once purchased I am broken an old.

     Oh wisdom, what lessons would I recant to,

Now that the cost of tuitions been told?

     If any, it would not truly be wisdom I’ve gained, but lies

Because your attainments are treasures worth keeping.

     The high price worth the prize

And the benefits worth all the weeping.

     The eternal benefits worth all the weeping.

     Wisdom was my greatest pledge

Fair knowledge sharpened by life’s edge

     Such weaponry was my aim.

Yet I fear…

     It shall never be my claim.

I AM A SOLDIER

I am a soldier.

And though I have fallen, I have not failed.

For I have had the courage to fight.

I am a son.

I am loved by my family, though war has taken me far from their door.

I have fought for them

And I have won.

I am a husband.

I am married to an angel who fights at my hospital bed.

She fights as hard as I have ever fought

To bring me love, hope, and a smile through the hell she is enduring on my behalf

She is my hero.

I am a father.

My children are not ashamed of me.

I look in their eyes and I see boys who wish to be men

To rush into hell on my behalf

and shoulder the fight I have turned over to others like myself.

I see a daughters love that would raise me from any injury to defend her again and again.

I am not fallen in my children’s eyes,

if it is possible I am risen even higher than I have ever been in their hearts.

For I have fallen for them.

I am a Christian.

And though my body be wounded,

My soul and my spirit are strong.

My Heavenly Father has walked the night with me in battle

And He has not left my side even now

I hear no rebuke in His voice as He sits with me,

Only pride, and love.

When I fell, it was He who caught me

And He who holds me still.

I am a soldier.

And though I have fallen, I have not failed

For I have had the courage to fight.

A Cool Fall Evening

     Summer’s sweltering heat forgotten, I sit with jacket and gloves, wool hat fit over cold ears and watch the steam swirl away from a warming cup of coffee.  Falls majesty is creatively painted in quilt patterns of oranges, yellows, greens, and maroon trees blanketing the surrounding hills, opening only occasionally to peek their heads out from the comforting foliage.

     I’m not sure I could say it enough:  I love fall.  I love getting to wrap comforting warm clothes around me as if they were a lovers embrace that I get to carry around with me at all times, even in public without shame of being too affectionate.  The arms are not a woman’s but a cotton button-up long sleeve shirt covered over partially by a heavy jean jacket.  My one shot at being the Marlboro Man and not getting cancer.  I don’t need a cigarette as I can see the smoke filling the air with every breath I exhale without one.  It’s cold outside.  My face only peeks out of the layers of comfort I’ve wrapped around myself similar to the houses on the hill.  My cheeks and nose are cold but the rest is inside its own world of safety, snuggled tight.

     Inside I can hear the muffled laughter of my children playing.  Porch lights are becoming visible as the world begins to dim.  The American Flag is gently waving, dancing with an invisible partner to a patriotic tune only it can hear.

     The street lamp has just come to life.  It’s the hour when magic happens in fairy tales, lovers dare a kiss, and silly men filled with nostalgia attempt to write something poetic.

     It’s also the time when if one listens closely they can hear the hushed whisper of the biting wind telling them that peace is worthwhile, good can still be found in a harsh world, and life is worth another sunrise.  It’s a good hour, and as my light finally goes to sleep I write the final lines in the dark looking up to realize, by writing and not simply experiencing…I’ve missed it.