Sometimes I look at my "land." It is in the Ozark Mountains. When I bought it the land was "Unimproved Land." There were tree tops everywhere - cedar trees mostly, some oak. Most of the very large trees were gone. It had been logged maybe 30 years before I bought it. I scratched out what we needed on the side of this rock called the oldest mountain range in the U.S. 30 years of work have kept me busy. And I have enjoyed almost every minute of it. And as I look at it, I think of those who have walked this land before me. I suspect there have been many. I guess it is a far stretch for me to call this "my land." There will be others to follow. Many, I hope. I hope others will look over the valley and say, "this is really nice." I guess I rented "my land" with a few dollars and every one of those minutes of work. It may not be long before someone else will "own this land." It is just a speck of time in the overall picture of time.
Still, I sure like looking at it. It changes season by season, day by day, and hour by hour. And there is a pretty good show most everyday. Deer, turkey parades, coyote, roadrunner, fox, raccoons,opposum, ground hogs, bobcat, black bear, elk, Eagles and those funny little lizards that the dog can no longer catch as she ages. And the rainbow and brown trout that I used to fish every free minute in the past - I know they are still there - waiting. All are my closest neighbors. Just in the woods with my family and friends.