Tuscaloosa, Alabama

I recently discovered an abandoned golf course which has become an informal dog park, replete with enough acreage to keep even the most active puppy happy. I realized today though that I’ve come to relish these afternoons of freedom as much as, or perhaps even more so, than Cowboy.

When I walk along the ridge line, I slip into a dream world — my own version of paradise. There’s always a farmhouse with a stone fireplace awaiting our return, and there are always horses in the nearby pasture. Often in my fantasies, I’m riding a golden palamino, shotgun slung across a hand-crafted saddle, Cowboy poised in the distance, prepared to flush a covey of quail.

It’s quiet, so quiet, and I often lie down in the grass and watch the clouds race by. Sometimes I ponder problems; sometimes I murmur prayers; sometimes I daydream; sometimes I just breathe, in and out, in and out.

There are other pet owners beyond the fence, but they favor the open lawn. Trees separate the two spaces so that it’s easy to imagine I’m totally isolated. I think about Oklahoma and Kansas, remember the total freedom I felt there. I enjoy being with people, but I love being alone. I find comfort in the stillness, respite in the transition from sunset to twilight.

Lately, this field is my favorite place in the entire world, and judging from the goofy grin on Cowboy’s face as soon as we head to the car, I’m fairly certain it suits his fancy as well.

Music: Faint by Linkin Park (lyrics)

Posted on March 6, 2009 by Carmen K. Sisson tagged Alabama, barns, landscape, snow, Tuscaloosa, winter, writing