Bits & Pieces

Some years bad-luck just settles in and takes a huge bite out of our butts - bad-luck chews and chews until she's had her feel, and we suffer for her bloated and greedy ways.

Our Boar's Nest suffered from last weeks flood. This weekend we gather to assess the damage and clean and salvage those items not ruined forever. I had left my old Army cot, a beautiful military issued sleeping bag, vintage Coleman lanterns and stove, and antique kerosene lanterns in the building. According to FEMA this was an historic flood. The highest waters ever recorded for the river where we have the Nest built. Our stilts were not sufficient, high enough, for the flood.

In our storage trailer we have stored prep items and thousands of rounds of ammunition. Most of the ammo is packed within ammunition cans, and much of mine, in sealed battle packs. I hope its all dry, and if not, we'll unpack it and allow the ammo to sun dry. Most military ammo has sealed primers. I sure won't throw it away.

The reports I've received from locals is if you were in a boat riding the flood it was possible, while sitting in said boat, to reach and touch the top of the Boar's Nest. Bad stuff.

We'd just installed new insulation. Hopefully we'll be able to salvage some of it. We're not sure if the insulation wicked the water, if so, it too is gone.

Pictured above is one of two very old American made lanterns I left stored in the Boar's Nest. I think I remember it sitting atop one of the storage cabinets. Hope my memory serves me well, I'd hate to lose it.

The building itself I'm sure is fine. We'll clean out the mud, replace and repair. Adversity shall be kicked in the butt.

*****

My Sweet Wife is depressed, badly. I'll not spell out the reasons, hell, you know the story. Anyway, I've noticed of late she has been spending hours with a laptop deep into research. I never asked why simply because it kept her busy and her eyes were free of tears.

A couple of nights ago she came to me and said, "I want to adopt a child. I want a little girl no one can take from us." She continued, "There are hundreds of children out there begging for a home, a family, and they need love."

I didn't bat an eye...maintained my composure. Wiped my nose, scratched my head. Then, "Okay."

She smiled. And, once again, all was right with the world. She fell asleep that evening without a tear.

So, we'll try again. The process begins today. You, I'm sure, might have noticed I haven't written as much of late. Now you understand why my blog has taken a hit on the number of blog pieces posted. For the last few nights we've been deep into web research on adoptions.

We've raised a child, a boy. He didn't turn out so well. We've asked ourselves why, where did we go wrong, and we just cannot find an answer. This time, we'll ask a little girl if she wants a loving mother and father. If she'd like to be our little girl, our daughter. There is a void in our lives and it needs to be filled, we need a child to love.

I've found six or seven little girls, on the Florida agency web-search, I want to bring home, now. To read their on-line descriptions, and see their little faces, is enough to break your heart. Those little girls need my arms around them, and I need their hugs in return. I want another little girl to raise. To protect. One of mine own.

Thus begins a very long process.

Oh, by the way, it's a secret. Don't tell anyone.

Stephen