The base I live on is rather small and not largely populated, but still it can be hard to find a quiet spot free of troops drilling, or people fishing and walking their dogs; I'm even leery of the occasional hunter. So, it was nice to discover this field without fences where no one else seems to go that I can wander in quiet privacy. It's wonderful to be alone in nature as the sun is setting--just to watch the light shift and see birds wing across a golden turning pink sky. Soon cooler weather will drive most casual visitors and noisy birds away. Last year I felt as if the beach near my house belonged to me, as I was the only one who claimed possession of it when it was twenty degrees and the wind was whipping hard against your face. No other footsteps followed mine when I cut a path across it in the snow on a bright December day. Soon, I hope to claim small corners of this base as well--places where no one else will venture once the temperatures drop, but still hold beauty to me.
CONVERSATION