JJ and I were sitting at my picnic table lamenting the fact that our bodies are breaking down and our minds aren't far behind. It was six years ago almost to the day the big guy and I built the Penthouse Cabin. He was the brains and I pounded nails badly but was an able laborer and in one month I had my new home. Today we were going over plans to drill a well while I was burning some leaves and litter in the firepit. The smell of burning leaves always sends me back to when I was a kid up here in Upper Michigan. Running with boundless energy through a meadow of wild flowers not going anywhere but going somewhere fast in search of life like only a teenager knows. We'd search caves behind my Gramma's house and up a huge rock bluff that would take us an hour to climb. Up there we could see all of Republic, the Michigamme River winding through it and the big ugly iron ore mine that stunk up the west side of town. It sat on a huge hill, a behemouth of a steel monster and we stood on top of the world watching its huge smoke stacks billow black smoke into our clear blue sky. Oh my.....
I ask JJ about the mortality of it all. The sickness. The failing body parts and there is no real answer just what we want to happen to us. A wisp of wishful thinking. If we stop trying to get up every morning or if we let the aches and pains send us to the couch I believe we are doomed. A boomer gone bored. It seems like I've been aching all day but I ache less then I did yesterday and I know I'm healing. I may be over doing it a bit and maybe I'm not. The Marine Corps taught me that I can push myself one bit more then I think is my limit. I can't stop. I'm afraid to. I brag to JJ that I can still be his right hand man again but don't lean on my shoulders, eh? We can make things happen like we once did. We'll just wait a couple more weeks until I get off the disabled list and I'll be raring to go because it is my home I'm working on. He gets up and lets out a groan, says goodbye, and I watch him head down the driveway and back to his cabin up the hill. I'm blessed to have such sincere and caring friend who brings me my mail and offers words of encouragement I always need. Don't we all?.....
I call it a day just before dusk and scatter the ashes in the fire because a brisk wind has picked up and the temp is going down tonight. Time to put a wrap on another day. I gather my stuff and look around the yard and it feels good to get the place in shape again. In the swamp the patches of snow are hanging on but frogs have started singing their high pitched shrill that is a thrill. I felt good today. There is hope and tomorrow is payday and that will be a nice thought as I lay my head down tonight. I'll say my prayers like I always do and thank God for all I have. On a day like today I have it all......
Easy....
