[cav68]

I grew up on a small farm in Isle of Wight county in southeastern Virginia. The farm itself is located on part of the the Old Pine Tree Plantation, the majority of the Old timers have gone and have been replaced by their children who have become the Old Timers of which I am one now. Our farm house is located on the Blackwater River which forms a peninsula which helps even more to seculde it from all others. Hurricane Isabel caused an extreme amount of damage to the tree crop and we have been cutting trees from our excess road for almost a month and with the grace of God I hope to have the road open at the end of the day on Saturday. As we toll along with our work we always take time to see the beauty the old place displays each time I visit, it remainds me of a quote from the movie Gone with the Wind, " The earth is the only thing that is worth living for" the smell of the soil especialy this time of the year as it is harvest time for the peanuts and corn and soy beans. As the combines come in and gather the fruits of bounty the earth give us a smell which seems to bring out only the best in the people involved, they all are happy and glowing with pride for its at this time they tend to share even more openly with family friends and if you are lucky enough starngers from time to time. My youngest son has the same feelings about the simplicity of the farm from riding on the tractor to a simple walk along the swamp area and he really gets excited when he sees the wildlife right up close, his favorite is the Wild Turkeys, as they are so colorful and he knows when you see one you have become part of that animals day. Well I am long winded but I too enjoy a simpler time where beauty at this time of year in my area is worth each morning I get out of bed, I can hope that others enjoy the scenery in their areas during the wonderful fall season. I hope everyone takes time one afternoon and watch the sun go down, the sky is truly a HD plasma screen of color.

[Congressman Billybob]

Thank you very much for your heartfelt response to my article. Replies like yours have been among the most gratifying posts to my writing.

I agree with you about two specifics you mention. I live in the middle of an oak forest with substantial undergrowth. More than two dozen times this year, flocks of wild turkeys have come grazing on our lawn. At most, we had 19 of them at one time. (It would have made a turkey hunter's eyes roll back in his head.)

And, as for sunrises and sunsets -- when I rebuilt this old farmhouse I put ten windows at two levels in the master bedroom, all facing to the south, southeast, and southwest. In the winter, all the kalaidoscope (sp?) colors of the rising and setting sun are spread out on sky before the house, and painted across the foothills of the Blue Ridge up to 80 miles away. It is different every day, and as you say, it is always breath-taking.

Thanks for taking time to write of your experiences.

John / Billybob