Beautiful Life Experience

As friends and neighbors fretted about the approaching storm, I was as happy as a child anticipating a trip to an amusement park while awaiting the event. Estimates of a late evening arrival after 10 pm provided enough time to go and gather cabin essentials before heading to the woods once again. As my grocery cart traveled the aisles of Kroger, I came face to face with a co-worker when I realized how far apart our two worlds were at that given time. Her cart contained household cleaners, magazines, toilet tissue, a picnic ham and groceries for a moderate size family while mine contained a large bag of ice, 2 bottles of wine, beer, cheese, nuts and dog food. For a fleeting moment, I questioned my priorities only to reaffirm my conviction to arrive at the cabin prepared to enjoy a long night of nature's entertainment.

I can't effectively describe how beautiful life's experience is when frustration, tension and worry is  left behind. Settled in for an evening and reclined before the light of a gentle fire with no modern conveniences as a distraction, all I could hear was the sound of wood searing before me. The sight and sound pulled memories from deep in my mind returning me to the mid-1960s. As I sat there staring into the fire, my thoughts returned to my parent's farm house where as a young child, I would sit in the dark late at night at my mother's side and watch the warm fire as it burned in their bedroom fireplace hearth. Though many years have passed, at least 45 if counting, the feeling, sight, smell and sound has not changed. Although my mom departed this earth years ago, its time like this I feel her love and know she really never fully left me behind. Staring, reminiscing, smiling... life goes on.

Later, as the fire burned down, I stretched on the couch with Kuma at my side on the floor still waiting the storm's arrival. Long after sleep had enveloped us both did it sneak in across the western hill to shake us from our slumber. Lying there, hearing the majestic claps of thunder and watching the room flash brightly as it moved above, it was simply another beautiful life experience. A cabin in the woods needs no curtains or blinds to screen out the night so the 7 windows and 2 skylights welcomed nature's brilliance inside like a welcomed guest. Kuma has never been one to enjoy thunderstorms so as I lay there watching it pass, I could feel her press ever so closely to the base of the couch as she sought refuge from it through my presence.

Sitting in the recliner by the fire, Kuma awaits the next cube of cheese to leave my hand.

Late at night, life becomes simple and peaceful when modern conveniences
are cast aside and nothing but the light, sound and smell of a gentle fire to
engage the soul.

Bedtime on the couch with Kuma at my side, we await the storm's
arrival.