Love Livin In The Boondocks

[bassin_bug]

Today heading for town, needed to stop and let a dozen turkeys walk across my road. Seen my first ruffled grouse in several years, guess the foxes got em cause before could jump several walking in the woods. Deer almost come to the deck to use the bird feeders. Why? because I quit gardening when the wife died, they ate more than we did. Live on the migration route the sand hills take. The monarch m,igration is starting, just one problem, soon the lady bug swarms will begin.

There is nothing more beautiful and calming than watching wildlife. A person can't have that in the "concrete jungle." We live in the country and enjoy it from our back deck. It seems they all want to hang out around our bird feeders and birdbaths. Now the deer are hanging out under the chestnut trees about 100 ft. from the house because chestnuts are falling.

You mentioned the grouse being scarce. We used to have lots of grouse and quail, then in '93 we had a blizzard that dumped 36" of snow on top of 3" of ice. The snow was still on the ground a month later. When it was all over the grouse and quail were gone; starved and frozen to death. I have heard only one quail since that time and I think it may have been one that was caged.

You reminded me of a big wild turkey gobbler that I pass on my way into town. There is a huge subdivision of expensive homes at the edge of town where he hangs out. I have seen him many times standing beside the road under an oak tree and walking around the entrance to the subdivision as if he owns it. The funniest of all is he WALKS across a busy four-lane road just past a traffic light; stops and looks for cars, walks to the median, waits for cars to pass, and walks on across the road toward the river. I saw him one day and he looked like a cop standing there directing traffic. lol That was the day I didn't have my camera with me.

[Chubminnow]

That was the day I didn't have my camera with me.

Packing a camera at all times...now there's a habit I'd like to get into.

[kygorski]

Yah gotta stop and smell the roses.Cameras? God gave us a great one, its memorys. Our first fall here, we walked out into the woods, we live along a ridge, and whenwe walked for awhile, we stopped and sat on a fallen tree trunk. After a couple of minutes, I looked around me, and saw leaves falling like rain drops all around us. I turned and was going to comment on it, and there she sat, smiling with a tear streaked face,I didn't need to say a word.Another time I was fishing cumberland, and pulled into a cove near the end of browns creek, after a couple of minutes Iopened my real eyes. There were hundreds of butterflys,around me. I sat in awe, and then, no kidding, that hym,How great thou are came into my mind.A camera could not do justice to those several minutes. I'm sorry, about this time a few yrs back, We were sitting on our deck, and I noticed a change in my wife, with dread I knew that the cancer had come back, I know she knew also.

[Big Gills]

Yes I too would love to be living out in the boondocks now. I grew up in a little town on the St lawrence River. In fact I lived 4 houses from the big river. It was great for fishing and swimming and boating. Then I wanted to hit the big cities and I did. Lived in Edmonton and now in Ottawa. As I get older I realize the beauty and calmness of small towns. Man I am so fed up with noise and people. My next move would be a house on a lake or river. Now that would be Heaven on earth for me. You just cant get closer to God as when you are out living by the water and near wildlife.

[bassin_bug]

Yah gotta stop and smell the roses.Cameras? God gave us a great one, its memorys. Our first fall here, we walked out into the woods, we live along a ridge, and whenwe walked for awhile, we stopped and sat on a fallen tree trunk. After a couple of minutes, I looked around me, and saw leaves falling like rain drops all around us. I turned and was going to comment on it, and there she sat, smiling with a tear streaked face,I didn't need to say a word.Another time I was fishing cumberland, and pulled into a cove near the end of browns creek, after a couple of minutes Iopened my real eyes. There were hundreds of butterflys,around me. I sat in awe, and then, no kidding, that hym,How great thou are came into my mind.A camera could not do justice to those several minutes. I'm sorry, about this time a few yrs back, We were sitting on our deck, and I noticed a change in my wife, with dread I knew that the cancer had come back, I know she knew also.

I am so sorry your wife had to leave you but she didn't leave you alone. You will always have her beside you through the love you shared and the good memories you made together. My sister said sometimes it seems like her late husband is so close she can smell his after shave and other times during the night it feels like his arms are holding her and she can almost feel his breath on her neck.

[stratos185]

Know what you mean Kygorski about losing your soul mate. Been there, done that, now all I have is pictures and a memory to go with each one.

[kygorski]

Then you know that feeling stratos, what have I got to live for? We know it passes. My first wife and I were married for almost 28 yrs, both kids in school, going for college degrees, we were empty nesters. I remember telling her we could now start enjoying our life togeter. she had a fatal heart attack soon after. Man we went through some rocky times, job lay offs, being broke, and a bad drinking problem. WE came through all of that was not trhe end I envisioned.The second one was a fluke. My second date with her the first was just coffee and talk. We rented a couple of videos we both liked, and settled to watch them. My dog jumped into her lap, that was my first wifes dog by the way. All was going well. and suddenly the dog bit her, not real bad, but I could tell it was painfull. I asked if she needed medical attention, cause I'd take care of all the bills, she said no, but she wanted to go home.The next day I called my insurance agent and told him what happened.You know what he said? " marry her". She called the next day, and said a steak dinner, would sooth her ruffled feathers. As we talked that evening, we found we had so many things in common it was scary. I did marry her and loved her very much. BUT I kept having this thought, what the heck do I tell Them if I get to heaven. Our parish priest told me one thing that helped out, it was Gods plan, he has it worked out.