THE DUSTY ROAD............................................................................
(the wheat fields)
It had been a very strange night that I had when I was in the misty forest,, and now as I looked forward,, I could see nothing before me except golden wheat fields,, from horizon to horizon they were…
Stretching out before me in great waving hues of amber,, and thru this sea of wheat the dusty road did go,, so it was that I found myself within the wheat fields...
I have never been much for farming or for even the small garden plot beside the house,,
It had been a very strange night that I had when I was in the misty forest,, and now as I looked forward,, I could see nothing before me except golden wheat fields,, from horizon to horizon they were…
Stretching out before me in great waving hues of amber,, and thru this sea of wheat the dusty road did go,, so it was that I found myself within the wheat fields...
I have never been much for farming or for even the small garden plot beside the house,,
I had always been to busy,, for the sowing,, and the weeding and the reaping of the harvest,, it had always been much easier to just pick up what fruits and vegetables that I needed from the corner store… And now I found myself among these tall stands of wheat,, perhaps almost ready for the harvesters to come along and gather them up,, for someones bread I suppose…
As I have said,, I am not much of a farmer and I really do not know of wheat growing and such things,, but this wheat to me did look like it was about ready to be harvested,, it was perhaps 3-4 ft high and of a golden amber color,, just waving back and forth in the gentle breeze,, there were no fence rows about,, it was just planted from the edge of the road ditch,, to as far as the eye could see… It seemed like a vast ocean to me,, for miles and miles did it go,, and so it was that I trekked upon this dusty road…With nothing about me except the wheat fields,, there were no trees about,, no farms and scarcely a sound could be heard except for the rustling noise of the wheat shafts apon one another…
It was perhaps the mid-morning of the second day in the wheat fields that I did come to a “tee” in the road… Now I had mostly been heading in an easterly direction,, since I left the misty forest,, and it was to the east that I wanted to still go,, but this dusty road now did impose upon me to make a decision of which way to go at this junction in the road… I looked to the south,, and saw nothing ahead,, except for more fields and just this road that I was apon,, and I also looked north,, it was the same sight there too,, except perhaps I could just barely make out some tree tops in the far distance there… Perhaps it could be just a small grove of trees that I could rest under for the night,, or perhaps an old farm house,, so I looked once more to the south,, and then I decided to head north,, towards the trees up ahead... At least it would be a different view,, then what I had been walking thru these days,, something different than these wheat fields…
I had perhaps only walked for about an hour or so,, since I left the “tee” in the road,, when I came apon a dead dog in the ditch along the road,, this is always a very sad sight to me,, to see an animal that is dead along the roadside,, perhaps hit by a passing car or truck,,
always such a sad sight… This dog did seem to have been hit by something,, it was perhaps just a year old,, not too long a life it had along this dusty road and in the wheat fields,, a stray perhaps or maybe a family pet that got lost somehow,, I stopped just for a moment,, for I have seen many such animals dead along the road side,, and then I trekked on towards the trees ahead…I had traveled only about fifty feet or so,, when I heard a whimpering moaning sound coming from behind me,, a groaning sound of pain…
Now I am not such a callus man that I could just continue on,, after hearing that moaning sound,, so I returned to that dog in the ditch there… Yes,, it was surely its moaning sound that I heard,, I could hear it plainly now and I could see it just barely breathing there in that weedy ditch…
As I have said,, I am not much of a farmer and I really do not know of wheat growing and such things,, but this wheat to me did look like it was about ready to be harvested,, it was perhaps 3-4 ft high and of a golden amber color,, just waving back and forth in the gentle breeze,, there were no fence rows about,, it was just planted from the edge of the road ditch,, to as far as the eye could see… It seemed like a vast ocean to me,, for miles and miles did it go,, and so it was that I trekked upon this dusty road…With nothing about me except the wheat fields,, there were no trees about,, no farms and scarcely a sound could be heard except for the rustling noise of the wheat shafts apon one another…
It was perhaps the mid-morning of the second day in the wheat fields that I did come to a “tee” in the road… Now I had mostly been heading in an easterly direction,, since I left the misty forest,, and it was to the east that I wanted to still go,, but this dusty road now did impose upon me to make a decision of which way to go at this junction in the road… I looked to the south,, and saw nothing ahead,, except for more fields and just this road that I was apon,, and I also looked north,, it was the same sight there too,, except perhaps I could just barely make out some tree tops in the far distance there… Perhaps it could be just a small grove of trees that I could rest under for the night,, or perhaps an old farm house,, so I looked once more to the south,, and then I decided to head north,, towards the trees up ahead... At least it would be a different view,, then what I had been walking thru these days,, something different than these wheat fields…
I had perhaps only walked for about an hour or so,, since I left the “tee” in the road,, when I came apon a dead dog in the ditch along the road,, this is always a very sad sight to me,, to see an animal that is dead along the roadside,, perhaps hit by a passing car or truck,,
always such a sad sight… This dog did seem to have been hit by something,, it was perhaps just a year old,, not too long a life it had along this dusty road and in the wheat fields,, a stray perhaps or maybe a family pet that got lost somehow,, I stopped just for a moment,, for I have seen many such animals dead along the road side,, and then I trekked on towards the trees ahead…I had traveled only about fifty feet or so,, when I heard a whimpering moaning sound coming from behind me,, a groaning sound of pain…
Now I am not such a callus man that I could just continue on,, after hearing that moaning sound,, so I returned to that dog in the ditch there… Yes,, it was surely its moaning sound that I heard,, I could hear it plainly now and I could see it just barely breathing there in that weedy ditch…
I have had many dogs when I was a kid growing up and I have always thought that dogs are just the best “people” I know… So with this,, I thought perhaps I could give some final comfort to this dog apon the dusty road,, and then I just sat beside it,, and I tried to comfort it as best I could,, I suspected it didn’t have long to live so I wanted to make it as easy as possible for it…
I gave it some water and some of my biscuits and I examined her as best I could,, I think perhaps she had a broken rear leg,, for it was bent oddly,, and it was still bleeding,, so I bound up its leg and tried to align it as best I knew how,, it did seem to help ease her pain… She was not moaning so much now,, and not once did she try to bite me or even growl at me,, I guess she knew that I was tiring to help her,, to make things easier for her,, before she passed away…
I stayed with this dog there,, for the rest of the day,, and I gently moved her into the wheat field,, onto a bed of wheat shafts that I had formed there on the ground,, for a ditch is no place to die… It was becoming dark now,, and this dog was still just barely breathing,, so it was that I stayed there that night,, I carefully built myself a small fire to make my stew,, being very careful not to build such a fire that I would burn the wheat field,, I made my stew as I had many, many times before,, with wild onions,, wild turnips and this night I opened a can of frank and beans to have along with my biscuits,,, it is what you eat the most,, “hobo stew”,, when you are wandering along the dusty road… As my stew began to heat up,, and its aroma started to fill the air,, I noticed that the dogs eyes did open just a bit,, and perhaps its tail did move,, so that night I ended up sharing my stew with this dog that I had found all battered and bruised upon the ditch there…
When the morning came there was just a gentle misting rain,, and it cooled the air and settled the dust down,, and it made the wheat fields smell like fresh baked bread... The sky was overcast and cloudy,, but not with the type of clouds that would bring thunderstorms,, I figured they would just bring a misting rain thru the day,, not much trouble for me,, just a little cooler perhaps…
I packed up my things and then looked upon the dog that had lied beside me thru the night,, no breathing could I see and she felt cold to my touch,, passed away during the night I guess,, there was not much I could have done for her,, I had done what I could to ease its pain and at least she had a fine last meal,, even if it was only “hobo stew”.. So I left her there among the wheat fields,, I had no way to bury her anyway,, I carried no shovel in my pack,, there was nothing I could do for her now…
I continued my journey north along that dusty road,, to find a road east for that is the direction I wanted to go... and then after about five minutes of walking I suppose it was,, I heard a faint low bark from behind me,, and I turned about,, and there limping along on three legs was that dog I had found the day before,, not so dead after all…
Well I bound up its leg again,, gave her some biscuits to eat,, and I fashioned a crude sling from some old shirts I had,, and I started once again north along that dusty road,, a strange sight I must have been,, me with my crude oaken walking stick,, and a dog apon my back…
I gave it some water and some of my biscuits and I examined her as best I could,, I think perhaps she had a broken rear leg,, for it was bent oddly,, and it was still bleeding,, so I bound up its leg and tried to align it as best I knew how,, it did seem to help ease her pain… She was not moaning so much now,, and not once did she try to bite me or even growl at me,, I guess she knew that I was tiring to help her,, to make things easier for her,, before she passed away…
I stayed with this dog there,, for the rest of the day,, and I gently moved her into the wheat field,, onto a bed of wheat shafts that I had formed there on the ground,, for a ditch is no place to die… It was becoming dark now,, and this dog was still just barely breathing,, so it was that I stayed there that night,, I carefully built myself a small fire to make my stew,, being very careful not to build such a fire that I would burn the wheat field,, I made my stew as I had many, many times before,, with wild onions,, wild turnips and this night I opened a can of frank and beans to have along with my biscuits,,, it is what you eat the most,, “hobo stew”,, when you are wandering along the dusty road… As my stew began to heat up,, and its aroma started to fill the air,, I noticed that the dogs eyes did open just a bit,, and perhaps its tail did move,, so that night I ended up sharing my stew with this dog that I had found all battered and bruised upon the ditch there…
When the morning came there was just a gentle misting rain,, and it cooled the air and settled the dust down,, and it made the wheat fields smell like fresh baked bread... The sky was overcast and cloudy,, but not with the type of clouds that would bring thunderstorms,, I figured they would just bring a misting rain thru the day,, not much trouble for me,, just a little cooler perhaps…
I packed up my things and then looked upon the dog that had lied beside me thru the night,, no breathing could I see and she felt cold to my touch,, passed away during the night I guess,, there was not much I could have done for her,, I had done what I could to ease its pain and at least she had a fine last meal,, even if it was only “hobo stew”.. So I left her there among the wheat fields,, I had no way to bury her anyway,, I carried no shovel in my pack,, there was nothing I could do for her now…
I continued my journey north along that dusty road,, to find a road east for that is the direction I wanted to go... and then after about five minutes of walking I suppose it was,, I heard a faint low bark from behind me,, and I turned about,, and there limping along on three legs was that dog I had found the day before,, not so dead after all…
Well I bound up its leg again,, gave her some biscuits to eat,, and I fashioned a crude sling from some old shirts I had,, and I started once again north along that dusty road,, a strange sight I must have been,, me with my crude oaken walking stick,, and a dog apon my back…
Yes what a strange sight we must of made that day………………
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