Monday Creek Publishing Digest August 2021: Featured Author Kathy S. Elasky

AUGUST 2021

Featured Author

Kathy S. Elasky

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

Riding & Writing Interview

Available in Hardcover

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com 

 

Milliron Monday: Rambouillet-Targhee

 

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017), including his wife Jody (1938-2021). Pete, a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, and Jody lived life to the fullest. They continue to motivate and inspire.

February 17, 1974

Sheep Raising Experiment Utilizes Marginal Lands

by Carol James, The Athens Messenger Staff Writer

AMESVILLE – If you’ve been out Amesville way recently, you may have noticed several hundred animals in the area that you wouldn’t have noticed six months ago.

The nearby 1,200 sheep are part of an experiment that was in the talking stage for some four years before Dr. Abbott P. Smith and Roman Warmke, both with farms on Route 50A, formed this partnership and rounded up the flock which is reportedly the largest sheep breeding operation east of the Mississippi River.

Veterinarian Smith said he and Warmke, professor of economics education at Ohio University, received a lot of help from local people and officials at all government levels as resource personnel for the project, which is to see if Southeast Ohio’s “marginal lands” can be used, and if raising sheep is a feasible way to use them.

By summer the flock will be expanded to 6,000 sheep, with 3,000 remaining here and the other 3,000 to be located in northern Ohio. Expenses and hiring people to watch the sheep make only a break proposition with just 1,200 animals, Smith said.

And it’s “strictly business,” Smith said, with the money the fate of the experiment depending on the sale of wool and lamb’s meat.

But the project will be experimental, Smith said, until the end of their first full season, about next October, after shearing in April, lambing in May (“to stay out of the mud” and cold weather) and marketing in September.

Holding unusual jobs for this part of the country are Charles Loeb, a sophomore at Ohio University, and John Branner, a graduate of Purdue University who will be attending OU in the spring. They’re the shepherds for the operation, and the sheep require their attention 24 hours a day.

To help them they have a dog, Jim, and a horse, Fritz, and while Loeb attends classes, Branner watches the sheep, with nights divided four a week for Branner and three for Loeb.

The night shepherd beds the sheep down around the trailer in which he sleeps, and sleeps with one ear tuned to the sound of the sheep’s bells, one on every 25th ewe, which serve as  alarms in the event of trouble, such as dogs attacking the flock, but so far dogs have not been a problem, Smith said.

Loeb said the Shepherd’s job is to watch that the sheep don’t get away, or stray too far, and he said they don’t stray singly or in pairs but instead groups of 20 or so, so they’re easier to spot.

Philosophically, the job “gives you a lot of time to think,” Loeb said. Except when curious folks stop by to talk, but he said most of these are very interested in the outcome of the experiment and enjoys talking to them.

The project requires a lot of temporary fencing, Smith said, and a plenty of work in grinding feed every day. There is also a lot of labor involved in feeding the animals hay and grain daily.

Smith and Warmke rent 10,000 acres on a day-to-day basis for the sheep, including two small coal company holdings and private lands. The renters pay as long as the sheep eat. They just eat the best and then want to move and “you can’t hold ‘em,” Smith said.

Are sheep stupid? “They’re good at what they need to do, they’re adaptable, and you can train them to do about what you can teach a dog to do,” Smith said, “if you’re clever.”

They are the least domesticated of domesticated animals, he said.

Smith’s practice as a veterinarian also comes in handy in the business. Since they acquired the flock in November, Smith said they have had little trouble, facing some dozen specific problems such as worms, diseases and acclimation of the Rambouillet-Targhee sheep to their new surroundings.

But they have a lot of sophisticated machinery to keep tabs on the sheep and their ailments and relations of blood values to performance, if any. “We have a lot of information at our fingertips that not everybody does,” he said.

Smith’s farm is the base where the sheep are processed and they’re moved out from there.

He said they are hard to find, however, and the two flew and drove through several western states to find these. They did personal buying to insure the quality of their sheep and Smith said it will take at least two weeks next summer to get more.

A good flocking instinct is necessary to manage most of the large flocks, Smith said, and that is one reason for the choice of Rambouillet-Targhee, also a fine wool sheep.

In addition, he said the sheep were chosen from western stock because they could be bought in flocks of 600 to 1,000, rather than groups of 50 to 100 as could be found in the East.

If the experiment is a success, which its initiators hope it will be, perhaps raising sheep will become a feasible and profitable way to put marginal lands to use in Southeastern Ohio and other areas and shepherding will no longer be such a rare job in the eastern and midwestern states.

Connect with Gina...

Milliron Facebook Page

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.

Horses Go to Heaven: An Interview with NC Matheny

The author's horse, Casey, looking out his stable window.

Horses Go to Heaven: An Interview with NC Matheny
By Gina McKnight

Archived from the July 2021 Issue of Florida Equine Athlete. No duplication without permission.
 
Do horses go to heaven? Ohio writer NC Matheny believes they do. Matheny lost his beloved horse Casey last year after a bout with colic. Matheny has written about Casey in his new memoir Hard Way to Go: The Horse of a Lifetime. His book details finding Casey as an orphaned foal and raising him to adulthood. Catching up with Matheny, we talked about horses, his life with Casey, his mission trips to Honduras, and much more.
 
Welcome, NC!
 
GM: When did you meet your first horse?
NM: Shortly after my birth, my dad would take me to the horse barn, and I was by his side from early on. If I got tired, he'd put me up in his mare's manger, and I learned to pet her mane and nuzzle her nose. She was my favorite. She was a bay TWH mare.
 
GM: Recently you launched a new book Hard Way to Go: The Horse of a Lifetime. What is the premise for your new book?
NM: I hope others will follow their dreams and fall in love with their equine friends, just as I do. In the book, I share my journey with Casey; the good times and the times that were rough. He was my best friend. I actually lived with him for over two years. We shared the same living space. An unusual arrangement, we learned to adapt to each other’s habits and quirks. When horses know you love and respect them, they will do anything to make your dreams come true. Besides my life with Casey, I talk about my missionary trips to Honduras and my relationship with God. I encourage your relationship with God, fall in love with Him, then your life and future will be secure and full of promise. Heaven is real, and few are going there. Heaven is not our default location. Humans need repentance from human nature. Jesus is the only way I believe.
 
GM: Casey sounds divine. What is your favorite memory of Casey?
NM: I miss everything about Casey. My favorite memory is him waking me up every morning. He was the best alarm clock in the world. I followed my dream of living with my horse. Casey was literally a heartbeat away.
 
GM: Do you believe horses have spiritual and nurturing qualities?
NM: Yes, horses are spiritual. I believe horses and animals go to heaven. All animals are under the age of accountability. Under the age of accountability, humans are automatically granted heaven status before they reach accountability for their actions. But beyond that point, humans have a clear choice to make eternal peace or eternal torment. The choice is totally up to you, and no one is without excuse.
 
GM: In your book, you also touch on your mission trips to Honduras. What was it like to be a missionary? Do you have a favorite anecdote to share about one of your mission trips?
NM: When you serve as a missionary for the Gospel, you need a clear direction from God that you are doing the mission for the right reason and not for personal gain. Scary for me, I had not been outside of the United States and dropped into a 3^rd-world country where the possibility was real that I may not come home again, all the while knowing deep down my Jesus was in all the details, and I was living my life for His glory.
 
I traveled to Honduras with a veterinary crew to help the local horses. I think the anecdote that best sums up my missionary trips and adventures was getting to ride a flea-bitten gray mare at the end of one of the veterinary tours. We had just fitted her with a new bridle and the tack she was wearing was not properly fitted. The owner asked if I would like to take a ride. I'm not allowed to do that, but that time I did. She was sweet, and the owner walked beside and led the mare, which was fine, but that was a joy that was not granted to most, and I will never get to do that again.
 
GM: What is your riding discipline? Where do you like to ride?
NM:  I rode Western in my youth but found myself wanting to feel connected to my horses over the years. So a bareback pad was my answer, feeling their motion, feeling my horse under me, feeling the rhythm of each heartbeat, and wrapping around the raw power of the horse. My horses all learn freedom with me, most of them. When I retired from riding for health reasons, I rode nearly bridleless and my last horse, Mystere, would start out on the trail ride with her bridle on. By the end of the trip she was wearing her halter, and I was steering with a lead rope for reins. One of our last riding adventures, I lost my reins on a very long trail ride and had to use my GPS to where I had last seen them. The next day I found myself hiking the same trails until I found my reins, all because Mystere didn't want her bridle on any longer and I slipped it off, attached her bridle and the reins to my bareback pad, and we finished the trail ride with her halter.  
 
GM: Always a horseman, what qualities do you look for when purchasing a horse?
NM: Watching the horse's attitude with other horses and their overall performance. A friend of mine was riding (my mare now, his mare at the time) Mystere with a group of other horses and riders. I loved the way she moved and her manners. I knew she was the horse for me. We connected immediately. I told my friend if he ever wanted to sell the mare, I wanted her, and he remembered. I have owned Mystere for many years. She is now totally retired, living out her senior years on a flat pasture with a run-in shed, happy that someone thought enough of her that she could live out her senior moments in peace.
 
GM: What advice do you have for those looking to find their first horse?
NM: Hire a professional to help you find the right horse. Take your time looking for the right horse and I can't overemphasize enough – once you have found your horse, spend quality time with your horse. A lesson I have learned all too hard: horses are relationship animals and it’s all about building that relationship. If you want to get on and go go go that's what you will get, but the time you put in is what you will get out. Remember, I lived with Casey my stallion for over two years. I would never think of actually living with him without the trust factor. Casey was rock-solid emotionally. With his great disposition and dynamite character, you could depend on his loyalty. He was golden. I'm not saying that I'm a professional in picking out horses. Believe me, I have looked at some after Casey's death, but have yet to find the perfect match. 
 
GM: What does horsemanship mean to you?
NM: Horsemanship is having a relationship, confidence and trust. It all comes together when the connection is developed between you and your horse. You both are individuals building a relationship that takes time, take the time that is needed. I have a couple of horses that I am still building a relationship with. The love and devotion I had for Casey was unbelievable. He was loving and devoted to me as well. He was the stuff of fairy tales and dreams. But we built that relationship over years of trust. And as your horses get older, they are not disposable no matter what happens. Face up to the hard facts of ownership, and please respect your horse. You are their only world. Remember, the Bible says, Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel. Proverbs 12:10
 
Connect with NC…
www.ncmatheny.com

Milliron Monday: Remembering Gussie Anderson

 

Abbott "Pete" Smith D.V.M.

June 16, 1938 - February 22, 2010

Welcome to Milliron Monday where every Monday we celebrate the legacy of Pete Smith, D.V.M., and  Milliron: Abbott “Pete” Smith, D.V.M. The Biography (Monday Creek Publishing 2017), including his wife Jody (1938-2021). Pete, a well-known veterinarian in southeast Ohio, and Jody lived life to the fullest. They continue to motivate and inspire.

In the back of my bookcase is a large brown wooden box with a fancy latch. The box has ornamental scrolls and carved flowers. It's my treasure box. Inside are the recordings of interviews with Dr. Smith's clients. One of my favorite recordings is of Gussie Anderson.

Jody and I met Gussie for lunch, along with Sylvia and other Milliron friends. It was the first of many encounters I had with Gussie. We met at the Millstone BBQ in Logan. Gussie pulled up the heavy wooden restaurant chair, looked me right in the eye, and asked, "Do you own a horse? What breed? How long have you had horses?" Through the kitchen come-on of BBQ seasoning, I nodded my head, "Yes." Before I could get the rest of my answers out, she relaxed, leaned back in her chair, and started to tell me about Dr. Smith. She had a long history on horseback with Dr. Smith and Jody. Not only a friend, but she was a client of Dr. Smith's as well. She told me about the time she had a not-so-friendly encounter in the Milliron Clinic parking lot with Dr. Smith's dog, Tess. But, she mostly talked about horses and how Dr. Smith and Jody liked to ride on the trails near her home in the heart of the Hocking Hills State Forest. 

Gussie passed away July 20. She was 91 years old. The Hocking County chapter of the Ohio Horse Council announced it. My first thought was, "I have to let Jody know." Of course, I can't tell Jody. So, I am telling you. A good horsewoman left this earth. She had great stories, was a good friend to many, and loved horses. I wanted to tell Gussie how much I enjoyed her company, but she wasn't into pride or being top drawer. She wanted to tell me about her horses, not about how cool she was.

One day I am going to get out my fancy brown box and listen to all the interviews again. It will take me a month or more. First, I will listen to Gussie and Jody laugh and talk about horses. Wish you could listen, too.

Ride with the wind, Gussie.

Connect with Gina...

Milliron Facebook Page

Amazon Author Page

Milliron: The Biography

www.gmcknight.com

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com

Through captivating, powerful, and emotional anecdotes, we celebrate the life of Dr. Abbott P. Smith. His biography takes the reader from smiles to laughter to empathy and tears. Dr. Smith gave us compelling lessons learned from animals; the role animals play in the human condition, the joy of loving an animal, and the awe of their spirituality. A tender and profound look into the life of a skilled veterinarian.

Monday Creek Publishing Digest July 2021: Featured Author John Williams

JULY 2021

Featured Author

John Williams

Barnes & Noble

Amazon

5-Star Memoir

Available in Hardcover

www.mondaycreekpublishing.com 

 

Haydenville: A Small Town with a Big Story by Patty Carr Horn

 

Larry Horn's new book "Haydenville" will be
available July 31, 2021 at the Nelsonville Brick Fest.

Haydenville: A Small Town with a Big Story
by Patty Carr Horn

The history of the Last Company Owned Town in Ohio is fascinating. I lived in Newark, Ohio most of my life before moving to the unique little town of Haydenville. When I married Larry Horn, (this was his hometown), we would sit for hours and reminisce about the community and spend hours researching and working on different projects that would eventually end up in his book Haydenville: The Company Owned Ohio Town that Outlived the Company. He talked about writing a book for years and I am proud that his book is almost done.

This may be a small town but there are still things to do in Haydenville, Ohio, that is from the past and still happening today. People are still coming here for different reasons. This is my story: 

After moving here, it took me awhile to get use to traveling distances just to get food, gas, etc. Before I moved, every place I wanted to go to was within a 5-minute drive, my work was a ½ mile away. It reminds me of people who lived here. They would travel on a canal boat being pulled by horses or mules, or take the stagecoach to get to Hopperville, then find another way to come the rest of the way. I just cannot imagine that I would have the patience to go somewhere and it seemed like forever to get there. It’s bad enough driving or riding for two to three hours and wonder if we will ever get there.

But this was their lifestyle years ago, things have changed over the years, but the memories live on inside each one of us. Deciding on where to live: what town, what neighborhood, what school, what’s it close to. Living in Haydenville people did move from one house to another, but they had everything they needed close by and Mr. Matheny made sure of that.

When immigrants came looking for jobs, they showed their paperwork and was hired. No family members came to the United States with them, being their choice to come to America. Each of them worked alongside other factory men and had a job to do in Haydenville. They only knew each other by their nickname and not their last name.

Anyone who worked in the coal mines, you have my deepest admiration. There is no way you are going to get me underground willingly, being in a hole for an undetermined amount of time working and going deeper into the hills to bring the coal out. My heart races just thinking about it. These fine men were able to bring the coal out of the ground the hard way and not by all the modern machines they have today. Most everyone used coal to heat their homes.

The men who labored over the hot iron ore every day, was unbelievable and you did not hear them complain like they do now days. These fine men were skilled professionals and if something needed done they would do it and not complain, making about as much as you would pay your kids an allowance.

Listening to the stories about people’s life experiences and stories makes you feel a part of this community. I do not mind when people stop by to take pictures of our homes or talk to you about their parents or a family member that lived somewhere in Haydenville and would reminisce what they could remember about Haydenville. 

The annual Nelsonville Brick Fest that is held in July brings in several out of state visitors into Haydenville to check out the antique bricks that we have on the homes as well as having several different bricks on our beautiful church. They offer tours of bricks (and homes when available in Haydenville) that are in the Nelsonville, Haydenville, and the Athens area. Be sure to check out their website for more details. I was surprised that more children are learning more about the bricks and making books from all the antique bricks that they are collecting as well. Occasionally, they find a real jewel brick that they want to trade.

The Haydenville United Methodist Church continues to have church services every Sunday and will provide tours inside the church with reservations. Feel free to stop in on a Sunday morning. 

I own the old museum now and in the process of remodeling the five-room unique house, one room at a time. There is a picture on the wall that Wib Sparks painted in 1971 (while he still lived in Haydenville). It is a large picture of the Haydenville Company store that he painted directly on the wall that is the length of one wall alone, which is now my bedroom. This picture will remain there as part of history and I will eventually put a shadow box around it, wanting to preserve it as much as possible.

This is the first time this house has had an indoor bathroom. The outhouse was torn down and I planted a buckeye tree in the spot (donated by Larry). The kitchen is almost ready to use for family meals, where we can sit together for meals and not in front of the TV. When you visit my house, you will not find a TV, there are other things in life that are more important. Spending quality time with the family is important to me. 

I want to preserve the Haydenville nine-way brick tile, they are aged and falling apart outside, hopefully I can find a way to make them useful and preserve them at the same time. That is my next project. This is my way of preserving the history of this house that is on the National Registry of Historical Places.  

In the front yard of this old museum was a Haydenville marker. But when the museum was sold the marker was moved to the Haydenville Park that is right beside the Haydenville United Methodist Church. I did not realize that there was so much interest in finding these markers. They search for the longitude and latitude of the markers, putting the information in their GPS to find their location. Several people who have come to see the marker are from out of state and find as many as they can. While others are on their phones looking for pokey men and dinosaurs from some game they have on their cell phones. Either I am getting older or times are changing faster than me getting older. Nonetheless, I am happy to see people out and about enjoying themselves.

One of my favorite things about Haydenville is the Hocking Valley Scenic Railroad located in Nelsonville, Ohio. The train runs on the weekends and on special occasions, like the train robbery just outside Haydenville with Smoke Rise Ranch providing the horses and riders. It is fun to watch the kid’s expressions when the bandits board and rob the train. The robbery takes place by the sawmill in Haydenville.

One of my favorites is when I hear the restored steam engine coming, listening to the sound of the engine and seeing the smokestack above the trees coming down the track, and watching people pulling their cars over to the side of the road to take pictures of the steam engine. The train will go down the track and then come back on the same track which makes the smokestack going the opposite direction. The sad thing was when the Haydenville Train Depot was taken down this year.

During my time in Haydenville, Ohio, I went to Hocking College to receive my Associates Degree in Accounting and Business. I was on the Dean’s List.  I started tutoring other students when they were having trouble with Accounting classes, which reinforced my knowledge and understanding. It is a pleasure to help other people learn something new.

Currently I am working at the United States Post Office, which I really enjoy. I am a traveling clerk, which means I am stationed at the Sugar Grove Post Office now, but I can help other local communities. Our Haydenville Post Office is currently opened two hours a day, six days a week. The lobby remains open twenty-four hours a day.

Before I started working at the United States Post Office, I ran for Hocking County Commissioner. When I ran, I was against a two-term component, losing by 47 votes. I know that some people did not like me because I was new and not one of the good old boys. But, I never let that stop me from trying.

Our community is ATV friendly, there is a riding trail through town to get to the different Wayne National Forest trail heads. The riders travel long distances to be able to ride on trails at the edge of Haydenville. These trails are monitored by the Wayne National Forestry. I would just love to own one of the campers that comes by the house, several cost more than my house. But again if I had one I would have to travel. Family time is so important, and everyone needs times just to get away and have FUN.

I am the founder and president of the Haydenville Improvement Committee, Inc. that was formed in 2011, which is the only organization left in Haydenville.  The others are no longer in business. Everyone in my organization are all volunteers with no administration fees. A big thank you to all of you.

One of the projects we used to do is community cleanups, but we are unable to do that anymore because of the cost that we were encountering, and the money for the clean-ups is getting harder to find. An average cleanup costs between $2,000-$3,000 a year. Also, we felt that more people should have personal dumpsters and not wait till cleanup day.

My daughter Lauren and her four sons (Ryan, Nathaniel, Christopher, Zachary) moved in next door to me. They moved here from Newark also. The boys are adjusting to the move and the smaller classrooms. Interaction between them and the teachers was worth the move. Their grades have improved. Thanks to the Hocking County teachers, for all that you do.

Of course, one of the things that happened was CoVID and all the restrictions that the governor put in place, wearing of masks, social distancing and not allowed to be in groups. Some people had to talk on the phone or use the internet, Facebook or other type of communication to interact. This has been challenging for everyone especially for those that enjoyed the company of others. Kids were being homeschooled, with most of the classes being online that required every house to have internet. Each boy has a separate chrome book to do all their homework and do the live classroom with the teachers. Some classes used internet games to advance in math and English levels. Times are changing, using all the resources necessary to teach the children that were being homeschooled. It has only been recently that they were able to start school again, having a better respect for the teachers. Some days the boys had difficulty in different subjects and when you have four boys asking different questions, it was difficult for my daughter Lauren to help them figure out without giving them the answers. Lauren has been a great mom not only helping her sons out but helping other students when the parents had difficulty understanding the assignments. Lauren has understanding, love for her boys and has the gift to be a patient loving mom.

The Haydenville Reunion was put on hold, it was a time when everyone past and present would come together and reminisce and see all the changes that had taken place. Let’s not forget all the great cooks that made all the delicious food, trying out new and old recipes. Selling tickets for the Chinese auction to win a prize was our way to help cover the cost of the building rent for the event. Hopefully, we can have another one soon.

One of the things I made that I did not think would go over very well was pawpaw muffins. I picked the pawpaws at the Haydenville/Wolfe Cemetery to make them and I was totally surprised after four batches they were all gone within an hour. Who knew? If you would have known what they were, would you eat one?

My favorite was when Larry and I went up Pickett Hill to pick blackberries. I had an ice cream bucket full of blackberries when a snake wrapped his body around my leg and scared the living daylights out of me. I must have been stepping on its neck because when I lifted my boot up a little it started moving away from me. My heart was racing about 50 miles an hour at that point. GOOD news is I saved my blackberries and did not drop one of them. The pies were extra special that I made with them.

Haydenville is a never-ending story. When you think it is almost done, someone adds to it and the story continues. What is your story………….?

One Week of Winter: A short story by Author John Williams

 

One Week Of Winter
 A short story by Author John Williams

Monday

Today is an unusually warm January day with winds blowing at a pace greater than normal. Large puffy white clouds are also moving at a speed that is quicker than they have been for a while. The pine and spruce trees that border my home are flexing this way and that as the wind whistles through the branches. The broom grass that occupies the nearby fields is waving in the breeze, while the nearby pond also is riffled by the ever persistent wind. As I’m observing the movement of nature the rain has appeared from nowhere. It means change is in the air. It means winter is just beyond the hills. It also means the balmy days of spring are not here yet. I’ve never considered myself as living in the north; I’ve always deemed people from Maine or North Dakota as northerners but my home state does border Canada so I guess being from the north does apply. If you’re from the latitudes where cold persists you’re probably tuned to the effects of a north wind and even relish at what it brings. If you’re from the south you may be missing out on great moments that make living in the north special.

Tuesday

The leaves have disappeared from their high loft and have moved to a place of resting. What little sun that penetrates the grayness above now filters through the exposed branches. It’s winter and the comfort of a warm gentle breeze has given way to a more robust feel. The time has passed of the leaves dancing their way across a blue sunlit sky to the grass covered earth below, its winter and now a time to reequip for the days of spring when stored energy is released again. It’s a time of wonder, a time of what could have been, or maybe what will be. The feel of a warm fire with flames flickering above a burning log can be felt, best, on a cold winter day. An embrace by a loved one seems to mean more. Winter is here, as it comes every year, but it’s a time of reflection and a time to readjust for the days ahead. Winter encompasses what has been but also what will be.

Wednesday

Change has occurred and after the howling winds that blew through the night, the temperature has plummeted and a light snow is starting to fall. It’s the kind of change that makes a person want to be a part of what’s happening in nature. Animals sense this and move with a livelier gate of activity. Horses run in open fields, dogs come alive with motion and a person gets an euphoric feeling from what’s around him. It’s still in the 20’s so the cold can be kept at bay. Yet, too much clothing can bog one down and limit movement. Yesterday and today are different but both can be enjoyed. We will see what tomorrow brings.

Thursday

A light snow has covered the creation its whiteness is more than my eyes can take in. I squint against the rays of winter. The grayness has given way to a sun drenched canopy above. It’s a moment to be relished. Moments in time is fleeting, but each of our days revealing what nature shows us. The green pine needles seem greener when peeking from under a blanket of white snow. The red leaves shimmer when exposed by a breeze. The frozen flakes of moisture from the heavens will linger to replenish the thirst of the earth. As the natural world has reason, we also should look at each day as wisdom for tomorrow. Yesterday has passed like autumn’s give way to winter. The leaves have fallen but even then they’re a protection and nourishment for the growth of tomorrows. Today has been a blur to what could have been and shields what the future may have.

Friday

The cold has settled in today. It’s winter. A cappuccino, latte, just a cup of coffee, or maybe some hot tea would start this day off just right. It’s especially good shared with the love of your life. If that is not possible, family or friends warms the soul when the temperature drops as much as it has today. The week is winding down but so has the thermometer. The negative side of the scale is dominating the readings. If you have seen more than the usual amount of vapor rising from the smoke stacks of home or business on a super cold morning then you’re in tune with this type of a winter day. The air becomes still. The earth becomes silent. Frozen particles appear in the air from nothing. A winter day like today is not to be taken lightly. Wrong turns today can be deadly, but it brings an awareness of your surroundings that have more meaning. Its winter: it’s cold, but it’s also wonderful.

Saturday

The temperature has dropped even more. The animals have moved to more sheltered locations. The stove is tended to with more regularity; its warmth feels especially good today. It’s not an outside day, but a day to wrap yourself in something warm and plan for days when the temperature rises and the fields turn green. It’s a day to look back and note the good moments you have had. The flames flicker and the heat feels good. I pour another cup of coffee and break out the paper and pencil. Letters are welcomed by about anyone on a cold winter day. I set to write but my eyes seem heavy. Maybe a little later I think, but I’m like most people and the later seems to slip away. Tomorrow will be a better my mind tells me as I drift off into a dream world of the past and futures.

Sunday

I’m woken to the sound of wind whistling through the evergreens while wrapped in my down blanket. The sun is peeking just above the hills and turning the clouds that have appeared a crimson red. Change is in the air. The cold is noticed as I slip from underneath my cover to check my stove for any leftover embers. The wind is from the south so relief is beyond the horizon, but winter is still here. A day of plus degrees will feel wonderful. Winter is all about the next day. Today is good, but tomorrow will be better. We always hope for better but today’s needs should be addressed first. Each day is better than the last, as it should be. That means spring is going to be beyond comprehension. It’s cold. It’s wonderful. It's winter.

About the Author

If you are looking for the author, John Williams, you won't find him in the office writing. He may be trekking a nearby hiking trail or floating in his canoe or kayak on one of the beautiful lakes that surround his Appalachian foothills home. If not there, jump on your bicycle and find a nearby trail, he may be wrapped around a tree somewhere and in need of your help. Teddi, his wife of 50 years, will tell you to take your time. Four children, all grown, made a break for it and put roots in different parts of our beautiful country. The seven grandkids don't know what he looks like. Go to the nearest locally owned coffee shop and just by chance he may be there. He will be the only one with a pencil and paper.

Worth Going Back: A Memoir of Alaska by John Williams

Available in Hardcover from Amazon

From the Author

Being creative I have been. I enjoy working with wood so constructed two Dulcimers from our native woods of oak, walnut, maple and cherry. I also have a 1988 Honda Prelude I’ve kept from the auto graveyard against my wife Teddi’s desires. I’ve started a novel, or it could be a biography but probably not, that’s nearly half completed. The natural world has always fascinated me so I’ve spend much of my time outside. Because I heat mostly with wood the process of keeping fuel on hand never seizes. It warms the body twice. The winter cold helped me create a short story. One of those separate attachments. I’ll also send a photo of my favorite winter hangout for writing and picking. The computer geeks say my hard drive is full when taking it to the shop for evaluation and I need to purchase a newer version. The world looks different from each perspective. Some look at me and see an elderly man but for someone that has eternity ahead I’m just getting started. I’ve still got the old computer. I’ll not bore you any longer but hope to see you in real life sometime and hope things are going well.