Newfound Adventure Bone, My geneology, The Wyndhams of England

3/2/07 Packed a picnic basket of sandwiches for a picnic @ the hunting land where I was writing my original words in my Gratitude journal. Its was a bit chilly as I sat in the monster truck. My men ventured off into the woods in search of a tree climber to be brought home until next open hunting season. The winds blew pieces of their words back to me so I knew they were still there and safe. My cell is on just in case... but who would I call? Nate is not back home from going to Enterprise. I opted NOT to tromp thru the wet woods. No sense of adventure, I know. I don't think I have an adventurous bone left in my body. Did they just dissolve? I heard the clanging metal as they were taking the climber down in the silence of the woods except for the scratching of my skipping pen and the crickets chirping occassionally. I had 4-5 cameras with me, but there was nothing worthy of photographing before me. I did see some interesting trees on the ride in.

We ate lunch in the truck because it was so cool. After we ate, they got the climber then we drove to where the hunters built their practice range. No interesting trees there. I let D & R shoot 1st. I got to shoot a 22 rifle for the 1st time in my life. I did pretty good for me @ the 50 yard range even if I say so myself. Of course I took a picture of the target to go in the scrapbook! I was proud of myself.

Once we got to the campsite where the camper was parked, I asked if I could walk to my fave spot. Not that I need permission. So I took off at a fast pace, heart pounding in my chest loudly. It made me feel good. I walked down the 1st trail that I'd been down once before. When I got to the part I thought I'd remembered, only it did not look the same as what was in my memory. To my horror, some of the trees had been cut down and left the way they fell. I was telling myself "This could NOT be my favorite spot!" so I backtracked and went down the other trail. I did not recognize anything familiar at all on it. The trees on the left hand side were totally different. They were not pine but much thicker types of trees. I was having a literal field day taking a storm of pictures. I discovered a part where the trail turned into a perfect green grass carpet. Was it magic? Unfortunetly not. I walked down it, but was not transported to another time or place. Walking back, I knew my guys must be calling for me, searching for me and worried by now. I felt perfectly safe until I spotted a gray tree stump that in my wild imagination resembled a coyote!

I just could not believe my once magical spot no longer existed except in my mind. I go back down the path again. As I am looking down the trail, I realized, it wasn't the trees, it was the road. The day I first saw this perfect spot, I half expected a knight in armor to come pounding down the path upon his steed. The trees, I must have confused with one of those movies about Merlin. I turn back in disappointment. About halfway, I see my guys walking towards me. Rhett comes running up and hgs me as if I have been gone for years. Then he's pulling me back from whence I came. I noticed Don had his pistol in his holster upon his hip as if he's the marshall of these woods. The one time I get my adventureous bone to working properly, he fusses at me about coyotes!

I showed them where the trees had been cut down. They were near someone's shooting house. Don thought Meade cut them since some of them appeared diseased. I told him about the stand on the other trail. It did not sound familiar to him so he had to go see it. He thought it was too close to the property line which must be a no-no in their hunting rule book. He could not believe how far I walked. He told our preacher the next day it must have been 400 yards. On the way back, I showed him the stump I thought was a coyote.

Back at the campsite, he told me they honked the horn for me. He even shot the gun, but I heard neither.

Back home, I fixed snacks for the two of them to take to the free drag race. I had the house all to myself for a few hours. I caught up on some emails. Learned some of my geneology from Mike E's friend Anne K. The Graddy's were a bit boring & I only got so far. Now the Windhams on my grandmother's side of the family are far more interesting.... if I can link to a ranking Confederate officer in the Civil War from Darlington, SC., I may can become a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) which would be awesome.

If we are indeed related to the Wyndham's in England, I will have a fascinating history to tell my grandchildren that includes a sir, a sir knight to King Henry the 8th, who was later beheaded and a ghost! The Wyndham family home is breathtakingly beautiful. (I forgot to add the link. I'll try to remember to add it later....) Anne says if we ever go to England, we must see it. I agree wholeheartedly. I got very excited about it all. It was a very good day for which I am grateful.
Another good weekend.