If it weren’t for the line of trees
planted along the road to provide
shade for the cows, the dirt road
and the prairie would seem like one.
I have hiked down to the road just
to be in the middle of a Nebraska
blizzard. I did not know the snow
could fill my footprints so quickly
or that my sense of direction would
lose its footing for a moment. In
the moment, I panicked. I had no
idea where the gate to our place was
or even in which direction the house
might be. I was in the middle of
the road and could have been facing
any direction a compass can find.
It was just at that moment Tooty
barked to be let back into the house.
When I turned, I saw the faintest
outline of the house and to my
right, the profile of the gate under
its coating of wet snow. Later, when
the snow drifted over the steps leading
to the front and back doors, I was
glad we always kept more canned
goods in the cupboards than other
folks who have a summer home.
Copyright 2009. Fredrick Zydek. All rights reserved.