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Good morning, you know, the older I get the more I’ve noticed that the past doesn’t really stay behind us, it just waits until we’re tired enough to listen. And I been doing a lot of that lately.

Well, looking outside this morning, it really looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day. Once again, the sun is shining, and I have to say, our property is looking especially nice. You know what I love the most? It’s the way the sunlight hits the trees and the shadows stretch across the open areas. There’s just something about that moment that makes me want to pause, sit back, and truly take it all in.

Highway 522 is still quiet these days, as are our stores around town. It really lets you know that the season has changed—which is just fine with my wife and me, as we enjoy the quietness of the country that surrounds us. That said, things will pick up a bit when hunting season arrives, but that’s still a ways off yet. Deer season usually starts around the second week of November. Still, time sure seems to be flying by fast these days.

On another note, yesterday my wife and I managed to get our mowing out of the way for another couple of weeks. I have to say, it really makes the grounds look mighty nice… so nice that some front porch sittin’ will definitely be in order after breakfast. We also had a lot of folks drop by our gift shop yesterday, even though I somehow forgot to put up our open sign. Not sure how I managed that… probably too much on my mind. But in true small-town fashion, people found their way in anyway. Actually we had ourselves a great afternoon, sold a bunch of books, some flutes, some small wooden items we made, and a some of my wife’s paintings.

We also had a lot of our American friends stopped by, which is always a treat. I sure do enjoy hearing what’s happening south of the border. You know over the years, we’ve made some great friends in the good ol’ USA—honest, salt-of-the-earth folks who understand that if your boots are muddy, you probably got something done today. The kind who’ll swap stories about just about anything, share a laugh if you’re still in your overalls at noon, and know that “fresh air” sometimes smells like a little manure.. That’s real country friendship… where nobody cares if you forgot your sign, as long as the coffee’s hot and the stories are good. And I have to tell ya I have plenty of them.

So with that, I’m off to enjoy the breakfast my lovely wife has set in front of me. After that, we’ll both head out to the front porch and then? Well, then I’ll think on what I want to do today. Just because I can. Sometimes, that’s the best plan of all.

Until next time, keep your minds open and your stories alive. GW