Late Fall
Approaching Winter
Low Somber Sun
Long Mid-Day Shadows
Note: This post covers several weekends patrols
Old Rag from the east.
Old Rag from the west.
Lamas on patrol in the park.
Jody and Bill B. on the day of their PATC Trail Patrol One-On-One Training.
Christmas lights.
Ice on the mountain think about your microspikes.
Twilight One Think About Your Headlamps.
Twilight Two
A GOOD WEAKLEY HOLLOW MEMORY
Strong wood smoke wafting out of the woods. Cluster of tents set up along Brokenback Run. Not a campfire but a BioLite woodstove being used to grill a large number of steak medallions for a troop of about 10 scouts and their adult leaders. I was offered a wonderful nosh of steak....Y U M M Y D E L I C I O U S! Had great conversation about ghosts of past present and future and a hundred other things with Dow, the adult scout leader and undertaker from Luray. (Both a small world and a small town world as it turned out Dow had grown up with Andy Nichols) The young men were going to be climbing Old Rag the next day and I asked if it was a first time for any of them. Two of the young men who some might mistake for older boys raised their hands so I told them how lucky I thought they were. I always get a huge positive charge of joy whenever I see visitors "catching the Old Rag bug". Every once in-awhile, when I am in a contemplative mood and my wandering mind starts reflecting on this feeling of joy my curious mind attempts to start to try and categorize, analyze, deconstruct this mysterious joy. So far, I have always quickly stopped my ponderings in order to just let the feeling be felt.
THANK YOU RANDY NEWMAN!
The following song harmonizes with some of the feelings evoked by my late Fall Trail Patrols. A lyrical cynicism diluted, vanquished, and washed away by a deep powerful melody. This song's emotions awaken, evoke, weave around, and edify emotions from my Old Rag patrols. Profound feelings of love for nature and good will towards its species sometimes called man-kind.
Randy Newman
I Think It's Going To Rain Today
Broken windows and empty hallways
A pale dead moon in the sky streaked with gray
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles
With frozen smiles to chase love away
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
Lonely, lonely
Tin can at my feet
Think I'll kick it down the street
That's the way to treat a friend
Bright before me the signs implore me
To help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
A pale dead moon in the sky streaked with gray
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
Scarecrows dressed in the latest styles
With frozen smiles to chase love away
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
Lonely, lonely
Tin can at my feet
Think I'll kick it down the street
That's the way to treat a friend
Bright before me the signs implore me
To help the needy and show them the way
Human kindness is overflowing
And I think it's going to rain today
