THE OLD STATE PARK-MEMORIES

I had mixed feelings about coming here.  I was in the area and detoured to the old state park on a whim.  I parked the bike along the road that goes into the lake and a lonely feeling came over me.  I walked toward the old Tuskegee Ruins. (Old Carson home)

As I walked along I noticed all the little openings into fields and woods that the dogs and I were so familiar with.

It was quiet here;  very quiet.  All I could here was the wind in the trees.  It was a lonely place today.  There were no dogs to share the time with.

A thousand memories came to mind as I passed each place where the dogs, out of habit, would short cut to here and there.  The bush where Shade would lay out of the hot sun was recognizable and the hedge where my Douglas would sniff out rabbits was near by.



I sat down on the old stone steps to write this piece in my journal.  Happy was missing from her place beside me where she always laid down to wait for me to get done writing or whatever I was doing.

It's good to see the old tree is still standing tall.  Douglas would always run straight for that old tree, stand with paws against it and thrust his pretty head into the big hole in hopes of ambushing a squirrel.  Of course, there never was any squirrel in that hole.  But, he had a good time going through the motions.

It is indeed lonesome here today.  I won't bother to walk down the "road to nowhere" that leads into the lake.  That's where my fondest memories of Douglas reside.   Their swimming area is empty and quiet today.  There is no pounding feet nosily carrying the big black dog through the brush to the water.  No yippy yappy Happy terrier can be heard chasing the two inseparable partners.  And-

there isn't, nor will there ever be again,  footsteps of a beautiful golden dog to grace these hillsides.   Douglas;  you seem so close, an apparition, that I can almost touch at times - just out of my reach but, never out of my heart.

The leaves are withered and dead.  Another season has passed.  Another Fall has fallen.  The cold of Winter is near and will chill the body.  Let it come.  Golden memories will keep the heart warm.

I miss them.  I'm going home now.  It was senseless to come here.  I missed them.  All I did was injure my heart.