The late summer sun turns the lake into a fire. In the distance I can hear the crickets chirping. A lonely bullfrog sings out in his booming bass voice as the night birds add a chorus of songs and the nightly concert begins. There’s the occasional splash of a fish leaping from the water to catch an insect that flew too close to the surface of the lake. The smell of the fire drifts in as kids roast their marshmallows on freshly cut poplar or birch twigs. I’ll ease back in my chair and take a sip of coffee. The flavor mixes well with the oak in the fire pit. As the sunset fades into the velvety sky the fire in the lake is replaced by silver. Throughout the campground the voices of the people begins to soften. Some campers are already asleep with expectations of being out on the water before the dawn. Scuba divers have told stories about catfish large enough to swallow a human being and each fisherman is convinced that they have the secret to hauling it in. Other campers are setting close to the red glow from the embers of the fire. They’re telling ghost stories about the civil war soldiers who once camped in that very same spot. As I finish my coffee I look out across the campground. Tents glow from the lanterns inside. They look like little hot air balloons preparing for take off. Silhouetted against outside of tents the shadows move on the inside as they turn in for the night. A few of them seem to merge as the lanterns go out one by one. I’m not sleepy. I pour the last of the coffee into my tumbler and stir the embers of my fire. The sparks rise into the air. As I watch the sparks rise and disappear I notice little greenish lights flickering in trees. The fireflies are putting on a light show if their own as the males signal for a mate to answer with the matching code. My tired eyes drift from the trees to the stars above. The coffee is gone and the fire is almost out. It’s time to take in one last breath of the night air as the dew falls. I crawl into my tent and sleep deeply. That’s camping on Summerville Lake.
Tag: Gauley River
Saturday Morning Sunrise
There are few pleasures of life that are better than greeting the sunrise. The crisp mountain air fills my lungs as the golden light washes over me. It makes me feel energized. The rest of the world fades into the background. My whole world at this moment consists of nothing but the three rivers which join at this point, the mountains in distance and the morning sun. I will hold this moment in my spirit for the rest of the day. The Shawnee say that it’s bad luck to make camp where three rivers join but I respectfully disagree. This place is blessed by God. Today will be a good day. I take one last deep breath and climb back into my truck. I only have a moment to enjoy the view but the moment will be all I need.
Image taken in Gauley Bridge West Virginia on February 3rd 2018 on my way to my day job.
The Quest For Simplicity
I spent most of the day listening to the soundtrack of my youth. Specifically, Simple Man by Lynard Skynard. It’s an anthem for young men of my age group who grew up in rural Appalachia. The lyrics speak of valuing the truly meaningful things in life like love, family and time spent experiencing life. I’ve considered the concept most of day and decided to add a few thoughts.
A trophy is meaningless if it wasn’t earned. No struggle means no victory.
Never confuse lust for love. Lust goes away eventually. Love will carry you for a lifetime.
Don’t confuse a simple life with a life of poverty. It’s okay to have stuff but don’t value your stuff to the point it rules your life.
Don’t spend too much time climbing the ladder. The best thing you can ever give your family is you.
Don’t mistake complaining for a plan of action. Simply pointing out a problem won’t make it go away. Learn how to see the roots of the issue and put action into resolution.
Don’t confuse quality of life with quantity of life. This one is a little hard to nail down. Everyone has their own idea of what quality they admire. One person might want to travel to exotic localities while another just wants to care for a family.
I guess my point is that it’s good to examine your life and ve sure that you’re not being so busy building a life that you miss out on living. The noise and pressure of voices on tv and such trying to define what our goals should be can get a little overwhelming. It’s good to push them back and make sure we actually value those opinions.
MOMMY KISSES
Sometimes everything just works for you. The image here was taken after a long day of finding absolutely nothing interesting to photograph. I had finally decided to call it a day. The sun was high in sky, the light was too harsh and I was frustrated. I gathered my gear up. Got in my truck and headed home in defeat. As I left the woods and back onto the pavement I caught motion in the stream just below the road. The doe and her twin fawns were splashing around and playing in the water. I stopped the truck and placed the camera on the hood and zoomed in as tight as I could. Just as I snapped the shutter the baby fawn reached up and gave mommy a kiss.
Sunrise On the Gauley River
There are spots on this Earth that seem to carry a spirit of their own.
This spot on the Gauley River is such a place. I stood on banks in this spot and a sense of peace washed over me. It was as if the mist rose up front the water and carried my cares and worries downstream. I could visit this place every day.
It’s not a sin to make time for yourself. If you let yourself be completely drained there’s nobody else who can cover all your obligations. One of my church elders told me that a person can be mentally/emotionally drained and be okay. One can be physically drained and be okay… But, if you let yourself become mentally/emotionally drained and physically drained at the same time it’s a recipe for disaster.
Your first responsibility is to make sure that you are capable of handling all your other obligations. That means being fully charged and well rested.
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