Dear GutsIsKey Reader; this is a little different direction than my sales BEAMS or Inspirational BEAMS.  This post is a celebration of a special place, that made a great difference in my life, when I was young. This special place was the land where I spent my junior and high-school years. It became the center piece for my father’s retirement home and the center piece for some very incredible moments in my life. Read on, for a recreational visit to THE LAND; as we muse together on a special part of my past.

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     My family owned slightly over 12 acres of property in my teen age years. This land was about 3 miles from the home in which I was raised. Before my father built his retirement home there, it became my favorite hang-out where I romped and played. It was a very special place. A place that we referred to simply as “The Land.”

     The Land was a secluded place in the midst of an active area. A rural community steadily developed around it, almost encircling it. Yet the land remained a still point hidden, from the hustle and bustle, of the surrounding area.  It was such a still point that just strolling on The Land would cause you, to feel your metabolism relax. The atmosphere of The Land would calm your spirit, to feel leisure happiness.

     When coming to the land, the first thing you would notice was the road that traversed its length. A road that uttered reminiscent images of what the land used to be.  The Land used to be home to a saw mill and the road gave you that kind of rustic feeling, just to travel up its dirt avenue. The saw mill no longer existed but the road was one of the few remnants that the saw mill left behind.

      To see The Land, the easiest way; was to follow this old sawmill road. Following this road, you found yourself being lead into a cozy wood of mostly yellow pine. By looking at a few of the remaining ancient and majestic oaks; you might have been forced to wonder about the nature of the land before the saw mill.  It used to fill my mind with wonder, to think about the land dominated by aged hardwood trees.

    As you continued to wander down this sawmill road, you would have noticed trails springing off the road through the lanes of trees. These magical wooded paths were created by exuberant teens (me & my friends) with our motorcycles. Looking down these wooded lanes would have tempted you to wonder about the gleeful delight, enjoyed in the creation of these trails.

     If you stooped and looked under a log, you would notice lizards abounding to amuse the eyes of any caring observer. Many times, as I enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the woods; I sprung rabbits who’s spirited flight could lighten any person’s soul. Also, if you glanced up, you would see squirrels prance from tree to tree; almost inviting you to join them. Oh! And if you got hungry, Blackberries, muskeydines, apples, persimmons and blue-berries overflowed to provide delicacies for the simple at heart.

     Almost directly in the center of the land was a cabin. The cabin appealed to the eye as a wilderness project abandoned near completion. A cabin pioneered by two young boys, who spent multitudes of hours working on their wilderness project.  You would have noticed a well used camp-site in front of the cabin.  I can not count the nights that a younger Tim Carter spent there enjoying star illumined nights; being filled with awe and wonder. Campfires named after girlfriends often lit up the night sky, when I was a boy. Countless marshmellows were roasted and countless stories told…..

This spot was later to become my father’s acre garden but that is another story.

     While you journeyed the land, you would have enjoyed the land’s fragrance. A clean aroma more pleasing than Pine scent air freshener permeated the air. I can remember that it seemed the scent made me feel more youthful and healthy with every breath.

     Crows were often seen and heard on the land.  Of such force were their shrill caws that you might feel a lot like a rustic farmer yourself, upon hearing their cries.  As you hiked, You would notice multitudes and myriads of birds invigorating the air with their songs of life. Moving on through the day, towards dusk, you would notice another priceless sound. As field crickets and tree frogs began to fill the air with a melody, untouchable by even the greatest symphony.

     The Land was a gratifying place to spend a dew filled morning enjoying the festivities of the wood or spend an evening in reminiscence and recollection. It was also a wonderful place to spend a night being inspired by the magnificence of the heavens, the handiwork of God.

     Thank you for strolling back to this magical place of memories with me.