The Bandana Girl!

She wore a blue bandana over her short cropped hair. Her eyes were light colored, green or blue and she had the most beautiful smile I have ever seen.  She was small of stature. The thing that really attracted me to her was her attraction towards me. She Really LOVED me and I her. Then I woke up in my dorm room at Lyndon State College.  I have never seen this girl only in my dreams.  Twenty something years later…My wife decided she didn’t want to be married to me anymore and she hooked up with another man.  I moved into a tiny house down the road from my wife and 3 kids (She was still officially my wife), when I had the dream again… She wore a blue bandana over her short cropped hair. Her eyes were light colored, green or blue and she had the most beautiful smile I have ever seen…I woke up my heart was speeding…She came back…Where is she? Several months later I had another dream but this one was different. She was there but she was older, slightly younger than my age at the time. She did not have a bandana…her hair was short and that beautiful smile was still there…but had slightly more wrinkles. I had moved into another house at the time and my divorce was final.  A couple of days after that dream I had another one but this time a name came to me in my dream…”Heather”.  Was that her name? Was I supposed to look for a woman named Heather? I talked to a good friend about these dreams and about finally getting a name. He reminded me of an old 80ds movie called “Highlander”. A movie were the immortal Highlander,  Connor MacLeod, married and lived with a woman named Heather. He was forever young and she aged but he stayed with her until she passed away of old age. “perhaps the name Heather represents the woman who will be with you for the rest of your life.”  I don’t know but I can always hope that there is such a woman out there for me.  

The family. It has been a long time since I wrote. When I see this picture of my children and myself. I think of dad.  He was such a part in my life. Even after my parents got divorced. It is his example and love for us kids that gives me the strength to fight for my kids...to make sure that I am a part of their lives despite their mother and I not being married any more. That is way this photo is so important to me. It shows that we are a family. 

Hiking with kids before they go off to camp.

We went down to Hubbardton, VT where the only revolutionary battle on Vermont soil was fought. The Taconic Mountains Ramble or Japanese Garden is just down the road from the Hubbardton visitors' center.  The road to the parking area is very deceiving. You turn down what looks like someones driveway and there is only a little sign underneath the mailbox that says "hiking". After driving over a couple of cattle guards you arrive at the parking area where a trailer resides or the "visiting center." although I think someone lives in the trailer. It was a beautiful day and the kids were really happy to be with me. The picture above reminds me of what dad would had done accept there would had been 5 kids surrounded him and it would had been a fight with who would be sitting on his lap. I titles this picture "The O'neils"

I'm lost in the woods!

The power was out at my house. I decided to go for a walk in the back of my house. Here is a rough estimate of where I walked.

I started out following the river behind my house. I veered off to work around particular watery land and I thought I was close to the beaver waterways. I felt a presence in the woods but wasn’t sure what it was so I moved quietly and cautiously. I was about to cross a ravine by walking over a following tree when a gunshot echoed very close to me.  I quickly moved off the log and turned my I-phone on with music to show that there was a living being nearby. He must of not heard it because he shot his gun several times after the 1^st. I moved away as quickly as I could. All I could think of was a stray bullet hitting me and no one would ever find me. 

I moved quickly towards a river. I was wearing boots but they soon were filled with water. The land was saturated with water and many smaller streams fed into the river. I soon stumbled upon the Beaver water ways. It wasn’t open water but many smaller pockets of water ponds in a marshy area. The beaver was there and tailed slapped, which is a warning to stay away. Which I did. I tried to move around the beaver water way because I thought I had to get to the other side but I kept running into deep streams. It started to rain and rumble. I knew I had to get out of the wet lands and I headed for the trees.  I was using an app on my I-Phone called “wild light” which was a GPS which tied into Google maps.  So, I knew the general area I was in.  As I got into the tree my IPhone rang. It was Glen from my church. Every other Sunday we have a bible study at his place. He was calling me to tell me that it has moved to someone Ilse's house and if I wanted a ride. I said yes and that I was in the woods heading back.  We hung up.

I started heading towards the way I thought was correct. I kept running into those wet areas my boots have gotten water logged. So I took them off to ring the water out.  I started heading east again and came upon a waterhole with many animal tracks around it. I still haven’t hit the road or any familiar ground and it was getting pass the time I should be home. The rain increased and I was getting a little panic. I prayed to God to help me get out and I calmed down. I also could hear my Dad's voice telling me to stay calm and don't panic. "You always got lost".  Shortly after that my Phone rang again. It was Glen again but I couldn’t hear him. My phone was a little waterlogged but luckily I had a good case on it , so it didn’t get to wet but the touch pad wasn’t connecting all the way so the phone didn’t function as it should have. I ended up hanging up on him because of this. He called back but I couldn’t hear him. So, without knowing if I was getting trough I said “I’m lost in the woods and I’m not sure how to get back.”  I than lost him. Shortly after that, Patrice, Glen’s wife called me and got through. She said that they are up on their way.  The land was getting a little more dryer because I was out of the march land in further in the wooded area. It had stop raining and the sun was actual up at this time. It was slowly setting.

I was heading towards  Kompass Lane by this time. Glen and Patrice went to my neighbor, Matt, who knew the area pretty well. He got on the phone with me and guided me towards his land, in which I was on and heading his way. He said turn your back to the sun, which is west and go straight. I did this and then the phone died. I knew I was close so I started to yell. “I’m here!” Matt heard me. Which, was a good thing because Patrice was about to call 911, rescue. They started to yell back and beep their horn. I came out into Matt’s yard, soaking wet, dirty and tired.

 My experience in the woods and how I got out is similar to what my life is now. I’m in the woods and I’m lost but I generally know where I’m going but I need help once in a while. When the phone rang and I couldn’t hear anything I took a chance, I had faith that someone was on the other side and could hear me. There was and  I got help.  You sometimes need to pray and trust, have faith that God is listening and will send help.