Last night, while camping, I awoke at 1 AM. I decided to get up, go outside, and stretch. Zowie! The dark, clear sky allowed me to view billions of stars. It was one of those nights where other parts of the Milky Way are visible.

This morning I woke up in the camper just as the sky began to lighten. I decided to get outside rather than watch the sunrise from my cozy bed (Tango quickly moved to my spot on the bed, which must have been warm). I built a morning campfire for warmth, put on coffee, settled into my lounge chair, and watched the world come alive. The rising sun back lit the orange cottonwoods. The far bluffs reflected the sun’s glow.

Finally, some birds greeted me. A heron flew by, and a white pelican floated by my campsite. An interesting group of seagulls floated in the air, twirling like ballerinas over the water. Small battalions of migrating ducks flew overhead–too high to identify.

As I drove home to start watching football, I realized this would be the last drive home from Grayrocks for a long time. I drove slowly, enjoying the cottonwoods, birds of prey,and blue sky. As I passed the power plant, scores of ducks were resting on the warm cooling tower ponds. The usual herd of deer were probably hiding for the hunting season.

I began to daydream about a new area and new opportunities to explore. I also began to plan my trip to visit another church and realized I will be leaving on the exact same day, 7-years after I arrived. If you read my book, it opens with a description of that windy day when I first came to Wheatland. I am curious about whether I will be escorted out on the same wind.