The Hollow...

Waking up to the news out of Las Vegas this morning took Mondays to a whole new level. It just seems so sad that one must always be aware and on guard wherever you go in this world because somewhere out there, there is a human being with no value for human life. Knowing what we all know from the media, Facebook, twitter, etc., I'm sure we can all agree, one shouldn't take today for granted...

Over the weekend Bill and I hosted a bonfire for some friends that I recently went to school with. I am so glad our schedules allowed us for to come together and celebrate autumn. I did have to work earlier Saturday and Bill unexpectedly did as well, as I was hoping he would be around the house to tidy up a bit before company came. Fortunately, I had prepared the snacks the night before and Mother Nature made sure the yard and weather were perfect with cool evening temps and leaves the were perfectly laid out in the yard after being blown around a little bit...almost like I put them there myself.

The evening was a bonfire get together. We got all our chairs (and then some) together and placed them around our homemade fire pit out in the back corner of our yard. I like to call this area "the hollow". It reminds me of the area of green space we called "the hollow" when I was growing up. Many football games were played there-yes, I too, played football. What's the only girl in the neighborhood suppose to do? You either played football in the hollow, baseball in the circle (cul-de-sac), and army in the woods or you did nothing. Those boys taught me a lot about fear. And they were fun :). Anyway, a couple of years ago, Bill and our son dug a trench in our yard about 6 inches wide from one end of the yard and angled it to the creek we have flowing back there. This allowed water from the neighbor's yard to run in the trench and into the creek versus sitting in our yard with no where to go. Since then, the trench has grown to almost 2 feet wide and a foot if not more deep. Bill lined the trench with rubber sheet and made many trips up the street where they were building new houses, to collect large rock to put over the black rubber sheets. His labor has paid off and the trench looks like a dry creek until it rains. He also took the one side of a skid and placed it over the dry creek. It has served as our bridge. The dry creek separates the main yard from the hollow so when you go back there, it gives the feeling you're further away from the house and in the woods. In the center of the hollow is the fire pit with enormous trees that border the pit about 30 feet away. It's the perfect area for the pit as there are no branches that over hang where the fire rises.

As company arrived in their very "relaxed" clothing, everyone brought a little appetizer to share and we arranged all the goodies on a table dressed with an autumn table cloth placed near our seating. We had food, drinks, a warm fire, and laughter filled conversations all night long. I honestly can't believe how the time flew.

And speaking of "flew", the night wouldn't be complete without 'educating' our guests about the owls we have that visit us. After explaining to them what to look for and turning their bodies away from the glow of the fire, I called in the owls and to not disappoint, Whinny and Pooh (the mom and dad owls we have that have nested in our owl box) announced their presence. Whinny flew to the other side of the yard, but Pooh wanted to talk. She perched on a tree branch about 6 feet from us and with Bill taking his flashlight to her, she allowed everyone to see her and take pictures as well as listen to her 'whinny' to us for about 7-10 minutes. To watch everyone's reaction was so incredibly awesome. I get so excited sharing these moments with everyone. It's funny when you tell people about the birds and owls in your yard and you watch them nod in this "okay, you're a little over the top right now" manner, but when they see it for the first time, the first thing they ask is, "Oh my gosh, can I get these in my yard???"

But even with all the owl excitement and laughter and food and drinks the only way to end the night was to get the perfect picture of friendship. Friendship has no age, it has no race, it has no income. It is where we can be ourselves and never be judged. It is where we find support, encouragement, comfort, and inspiration...and food. Food is always good!

Happy October everyone! Hope you get to have or go to a bonfire in your near future. It's perfect weather for roasting those marshmallows, smell the hickory burning, and hear the leaves rustling in the wind. It's fun to sit and take pictures of the fire, too, and look at all the crazy flames the camera catches!

#bonfire #owl #Whinny #Pooh #EasternScreechOwl #friends #October