A moment of peace…..

I went camping last night. I just had to get away and get into the woods. It was almost dark when I found my camping spot after hiking a long while. I wanted to be alone and isolated. I can find peace and solitude in going out for awhile.

I stumbled around for a bit finding a good level spot and took off my backpack. I then set about looking for some firewood before it got too dark. Before long, I had an armful of dead wood and carried it back to camp. I cleared a spot of leaves until it was bare ground and looked around for some rocks to make a ring. I then got a fire started for supper.

I set up my tent and looked upwards. The sky was pink with an orange glow on the horizon. It was a beautiful and serene sight. The woods smelled of pine and leaves. I took in a deep breath and soaked it all in. I could hear the nearby trickle of a stream in the distance. Now this is living I thought to myself.

I sat for a long time smoking my pipe and just thinking. The fire was crackling, roaring and popping. I had to sit a distance away because it was too hot. The updraft from the fire made the leaves shimmer and shake above me in the glow of the fire.

I heard my first katydid last night. For those of you not familiar with the south, a katydid is a very large insect that looks like a locust. It makes a sound that is its namesake. It sounds just like “Katy did”. They only call after dark. It was calling for a mate. In a few more weeks the woods will be filled with this call as more mature to adults.

That sound brought on a wave of nostalgia. When I was a child, I would stay over with my grandmother. She would love to fix us both a cold glass of sweet tea wrapped in a paper towel and we would sit out on the front porch in rocking chairs and listen to the katydids at night after the sun set. We would talk and wind down our days before heading to bed.

After sitting for a long time and watching the fire, I headed to bed. It was oppressively hot and humid. I pulled out my camp throw blanket and lay on top of my sleeping bag with it on top of me. I laid there and thought for a long time. I thought about all that has happened to me. I started to cry and sob quietly. I want so much and the thought of all I have lost makes me sad. I thought about my failed marriage. I thought about not having a job. I ended up crying myself to sleep.

This morning I woke up about seven and trudged back home. I wanted to stay but I needed to get home in case Alaine called and wanted to do something. She is off on the weekends. I still haven’t heard from her but the day is young still. I will just wait and be patient.