Remember When

This morning I was blessed to watch the sun rise.  (As with the last three mornings) It is so beautiful with all of it's character and colors; almost makes me wonder if God secretly wants to be an artist.... It is literally like a pillow-top bed that is upside down on the ceiling.  The clouds are so thick and fluffy- makes me want to go back to bed and pull my down comforter back up over my head... or eat them.. either way. ;)  It amazes me every time that the colors can be so breath taking; the scarlet, purple, orange, yellow, pink... literally every time I have the same thoughts.  Funny that something so "simple" can make you stare for hours. 
     When my brother and I were little we were always outside building forts.  I know this has nothing to do with clouds... but bear with me ;)  He was always the engineer of the operation; sawing things with dad's power tools pretty much before he could walk hehe.  We would sit and plan for hours what we were going to design that day... and for the most part he let me design just about anything that I wanted and he would be so happy to saw off limbs and nail together sticker boards for our "deer fence".  We constructed elaborate fences to keep out our most loyal companion, "Jazzy", and the deer... yet still the deer would knock it down or Jazz would just come around the other side.  We also concocted a BBQ pit of sorts.  Every Cowgirl and Indian duo knew it was a very important staple in the "woods life".  It consisted of river rocks (sorry, environmentalists) that we collected from the creek, and was patched together with a mixture of river clay, mud and grass.  It worked like a charm.  With pots from Mom's kitchen and Top Ramen "borrowed" from the pantry, we set off to start a fire in our new pit and make us some lunch.  Keep in mind that this was in the MIDDLE of a HEAVY WOODED forest.  Smart. 
So, twenty-something hours later we finally had boiling water... from then on we graduated to smores... WAY less cooking time.  ;) 
Across the way from our fences and lean-to's there was a big grassy area by a stump (perfect for King or Queen of the hill) and there was a huge huckleberry bush that grew right out of the middle.  I remember one day sitting down to eat our spoils (huckleberrys) and there were clouds of every size and shape in the sky.  We laid on our backs and started pointing out different animals and such.  It's funny because I don't really remember how long we laid there, but I remember the feeling of complete and utter peace.  Peace from the "daily grind" (that kids wouldn't even know about at that age, but anyhoo...), peace from chores, from homework, and from TIME.  Pointing out Bears and Abraham Lincoln was all that occupied our minds.  It was the best.
For some reason I still think of mystical creatures and good ol' Abe any time I look into the sky's puffy cotton candy clouds.  This time there is such a thing as WORK and LIFE now, but what my brother and I shared can never be taken away from us.  The simpleness of it all... the feeling that nothing mattered in the world.. not even potentially burning down the forest. :) My brother and I haven't gone out into the woods to make forts in such a long time, but that doesn't mean I have forgotten about it.  It's something about the memories that keep you  ALIVE and GOING in the daily nothingness. 

Maybe when I get home he can drag out the power tools....

My brother and I with Dad's elk

Through thick and thin... We're thick as thieves hehe