Rainy night, no Cokes

It's rainy like crazy, the wind is blowing, and not a coke in the house. I don't want one enough to get out though. I do have ice cold Evian water which is almost as good. It won't be around midnight though.

Skeletons

I can see the headlines now:

Two Skeletons Found In Car on Nameless Road

Early Sunday morning hunters found a green Mercury that had been reported stolen last year. Inside the car two female skeletons were found in the front seat. Two females had been reported missing one year ago. The bodies have been identified as Fannie Lee and her daughter, Alice, the driver of the car. It was not unusual for these two females to venture on abandoned roads to collect rocks, make pictures of tree roots and view the scenery. They often became lost, actually it was unusual for them to have any clue where they might be headed. Also found in the car were empty chip bags, cheeto bags, coke and water bottles. Hershey bar wrappers and crumbs were present. They were no signs of a struggle. Both skeletons were reclined in their seats as if they were just resting. May they continue to rest in peace.

Baby Joe

Jeanne, Jeane, John, K. Joe, Joe

Uncle Joe

Mama, Joe, Jeane

Visiting

I took my mother to Louisville on Thursday to visit her brother, Joe, and his wife, Jeane. We ate lunch at Cracker Barrell and then visited at their house. It was a good time, we talked and laughed. Mama had a nap. Joe and I had an interesting conversation about photography, negatives, prints, digital cameras. He has many photographs that he wants to have saved to a cd or web album. He has both the negatives and contact prints. It will be great to see them all. Joe is an expert on cameras, as well as many other subjects. I always learn something from him.
My uncle Joe is also very funny. He tells the best stories. He can hold his audience as long as he is willing to talk. We howl with laughter.
But mostly he is quiet. And gentle. It is always a joy to get to be with him. I love him a lot.

Gloaming

The word 'gloaming' appeared in Theodosia's blog tonight and then I read the word in a book I have started reading. How odd the word came to me twice in one night and such an unusual and wonderful word. There has to be a reason for this to happen. Gloaming, just the sound of the word makes me melancholy. I'll hold the word close, I think it wants to be with me.

http://theodosia.squarespace.com/

Gaines Land

I've been thinking about our walk in the woods yesterday. We ventured onto some of the Gaines land, which we now own. I imagine it has been years since anyone with Gaines blood has been on that land. I may be the first in a long, long time. The little area of land we covered is strewn with rotting logs, a thick floor of leaves, mushrooms, sticks, rocks, water trickling along, briars, strange things, wonderful things. I can just imagine what might be there this summer, snakes, bugs, spiders. Interesting things. I like knowing the land is there. Dabney Gaines owned it many years ago, and a lot more land, this is the last of it. We intend to always keep it in the family.

Walking in the Woods

Today we went for a walk in the woods. We started out in an old cemetery. It seems all those buried there died in the same year, 1875. All were named Massie. I wonder if I can find out anything about this.
From the cemetery we walked onto the Gaines land, which we now own. It has been many years since anyone with Gaines blood has been on this land. I hope to spend a lot of time walking these hills and little creeks. Trees have fallen and are rotting, mushrooms are growing on the logs, briars are having their own way and the rocks are timeless. We'll be good to your land, Dabney.

Uncle B

February 8 is the saddest day of the year for me. On this date in 1976 my Uncle B died. His name was Wellington Virgil Matthews, such a strong name. I haven't recovered from his death and don't expect I will. His sudden death left us all stunned. He taught me many things, we shared our thoughts and ideas. He always liked me no matter what I did, supporting my every decision. We shared books, he encouraged me to read, we had long conversations about what we had read.
But the most important thing was that I loved him dearly. I grieve for the loss of him and mourn for the years I have lived without him. Many times I need him and long for his presence. Sometimes I feel his hand on my head or patting my knee. I feel his melancholy and I miss him.