Western Sunrise

Woke up this morning an hour before sunrise, at first light. In the distance, the red rock spires of Monument Valley are stunning sights. But, my mind is not focusing on the rugged beauty of this place. Instead, I am thinking of home. I have contended that this walkabout was a “reward” for two years of work in Iraq. Some of that may be true. I suspect I am avoiding the permanent commitment to living in Chambers County. After all, I left forty years ago for a host of good reasons. The logic then is not faulty now. More than just living in Alabama again on a permanent basis there is the bigger issue of commitment in general. While I was eager to strap on responsibilities in my youth, in my dotage, I avoid them. What ambition I had has largely dissipated. My desires are simplified -- a good cup of strong, black coffee in the morning, a cold beer in the hot afternoon, some good music, honest labor, and as many laughs as I can crowd into a day. I spent my entire life thinking about tomorrow. I am readjusting my vision to think of today. There are no grand plans for career or driving passion to achieve some temporal reward. My soul does not crave attention or my ego need massaging. Instead, I woke up this morning in this wonderful place, wondering if the sunflowers I planted before leaving Welch are thriving. I wonder how The Old Goat is doing. I wonder about my next offensive in the Privet War. I wonder if the County picked up the old tires some knucklehead threw out on Tinker’s land. And, I wonder how moving home will work. But, it is time to have a second cup of Joe, put on the hiking boots, and hit the trail. As John Wayne would say, I don’t want to burn daylight. There is a whole new day to live.

To give you an idea of where I am, here are a couple of pictures. One is the view from my front door. The other is the Casita and Truck in the morning sunshine.