12/20/15 - The KITCHAWANK ESSAYS

I thought perhaps I might share some essays that I wrote back in 2013 when I was just coming out of my aloneness, and approaching a new life. They are a series of essays which are an allegory about the trails I made on my land and my mental state at the time.

Here is the introduction to the series. I hope you enjoy them as much as they were a healing part of my life. I will share them over the next few weeks or months depending upon what happens in my life.

At this moment J's Grandchildren are watching a video while we wait for the paint to dry on the Christmas presents they have made for their parents in my basement workshop. Their projects need a second coat, so we wait for it to dry. I have the two oldest boys (6 yrs) and J has the others. I love being a "grandpa", but since we are not married, I am called Al ... which I think is appropriate.

So here is the introduction to the essays.

Introduction:
"He was told that Kitchawank is an Adirondack Indian word which roughly translates into “on the side of the mountain” but research has not verified the usage. In any event, since his property is situated in the Adirondacks, and is on the side of a mountain, or large hill (depending upon your ego at the moment), this is the name he has given to his property.

The author is a man who has lost his loving wife to cancer and heart failure. He also owns a cabin and a decent amount of wooded acreage in the Adirondacks of New York where he spends much of his summer time. He has owned this property for over forty years and has built it up from open forest land to include a cabin, an access road and hiking trails. It is pleasantly situated on a hill side across the main road from a thirty mile long lake. Quite oddly, he considers himself simply the steward of this God-given land and conducts his affairs accordingly.

These series of short essays are reflections and thoughts, all of them true, to the best of his remembering. Some experiences have been combined to hopefully make the essays more interesting and compact.

In these essays the author struggles with his life, the meaning of his life, the future of his life and the relationships in his life. Not unlike the struggles many people have today. Age wise he has just exiting his third quarter century of existence and feels and acts one half of his chronological age. At times his mind and body have a disagreement about this fact. But none the less, he is determined to enjoy what life he has. And preferably not do it alone.

So dear reader, he presents these essays for your entertainment and reflection."

    Index of Essays:
A REFLECTION on LOSS and LIFE
TWO STONES can a MAN MAKE
NEW TRAIL … NEW ADVENTURE
The WHITE DIAMOND TRAIL
The GNOME in his HOME
ON a SNOWY DAY

    Love and blessings to all.