Golden Sunlight
I sit in the living room looking out the window. So different now than just a short while ago. Where i used to look out he front window to see my neighbors beautiful yard and neat home sitting in a row a houses, now I see the neighbors field of freshly sprouting alfalfa. How did this happen so quickly? How come the beautiful things I built and loved for so long are now far away down the valley? It doesn’t even seem real, although it doesn’t seem like a dream either. I know some things, though. I know that the Golden Sunlight spilling out onto the dark scene is wondrous.
I had been coming out to my grandparents property. It is a small farm property with a pasture, some animals, an orchard and other things. I was here doing work for them to repay help they had given me in the past. I had my newfound tree skills, strength and willingness. I set out to tend to their trees. This consisted of a nuisance set of Russian Olives growing along the ponds, ditches and fence lines. I initially was thinking that I was going to be instructed to remove all of them completely. As I removed the 2nd, and 3rd I started to feel sad that there would be no large trees left at all if I continued, the next tree I just pruned.
On Monday April 18th. I worked hard and my wife came out that night to help me set up our tent. We achieved this with only minor frustration and went to bed. I will say, it was cold. We hadn’t the energy to set up the stove. She didn’t really enjoy the night. The next day, I also worked hard but slept alone. That night was the last night my grandparents and I ate a supper in their home.
On April 19th I needed to be in my hometown to do work. When I woke up the next morning with our little dog, Pendleton, I set out to back to Town. It was my intention to work another day the next day and so I went back out to the farm. Upon my arrival, my grandfather went first to talking about being in pain and needing to go to the hospital immediately. Of course we got in the car and I drove him back into Town. Within hours he was rushed up to the City to receive special care from a hospital there. Family arrived from far away states and within days, my Mother, Aunt and Grandparents were all up at the hospital in the City.
Meanwhile, I was in a tent at the farm… It was my task before to feed the animals each day and water, prune, do weeding and so on. I continued to do so in the absence of everyone else for about a week. It was about that time that my Grandfather was to come back from the City, although he wasn’t coming home. He was going to a specialized facility in Town to help recover from the procedures he had undertaken at the City Hospital.
During the time that everyone was away, it had become a general outline of a plan that I would simply remain here as long as needed, and perhaps longer. It happened to be longer. Unfortunately my Grandparents have not yet been able to come back and see my work at their home, they will. I think that all the hard tasks I have undertaken here will make them very happy. As sad as it is for me to leave my garden home, it is equally sad that they no longer will tend their projects here at their farm. That is now my charge. I will take it up with strength and conviction. I will be a kind and gentle steward to all the life that live on this big space.
As I’ve written this, the Golden colour of the sunlight is turning to clear, bright clarity. This will soon give way to intense brightness and that is why I need to go to work. Summer will be here soon and trees are sparse in the fields.
