View From The Front Porch-Stan Hitchcock-November 28, 2012

Freezing fog this morning over the river areas of Middle Tennessee. Denise got up at 4AM and she and Old Buck The Collie walked our road along the creek, in the moonlight, for a couple of miles. She said the hoot owls were hooting to each other the whole time she was out there. As she got up the road a ways, she and Old Buck started smelling the evidence of a skunk, in full perfume. Now, as we all know, it is difficult to determine the direction of a skunk, since the perfume seems to permeate the air in all areas.
So, she kept close watch to not walk upon Mr. Striped One, and have him lose his load of perfume in her and Old Buck's direction. Denise said the moon was so bright it was like walking in the daylight. Ummmm, I missed it I am sad to say. Man was not made to get up and walk in the moonlight at 4AM....that must be a woman thing. Now, I'll admit that I would walk a rocky creek, fighting all the elements that Mother Nature wanted to throw at me, if I knew there was a small mouth bass at the other end. I've done that, walking against swift current, for miles on end, only to catch a fish about 10 inches long, and felt victorious over that monster. Yessir, but you see, that has a reasonable expectation of victory at the end of it....but, walking two miles at 4AM, in 26 degrees, for a hoot owl hoot? With fog freezing on your eyebrows? And no fishing pole? I must be missing some point here. Anyway, Old Buck The Collie was happy, freezing fog and all.   -Stan