Barbara and I have been to my home for a funeral: my last aunt. We enjoyed seeing family and friends, many of whom -- most -- we haven't seen since her husband, my last uncle passed away several years ago. Most of the land around my parents' house has been clear cut for pine logs and pulp. The resulting post-apocalyptic landscape was disorienting -- even for cousins who have lived there all their lives (except for brief periods of service). We could see across long distances (for this area) that were previously blocked by trees.

The day after the funeral, I rode around with my brother to check out the old home place: the area settled by my great, great grandfather in the early 1830s, and the log house my grandfather built -- and where my father was born -- on an upland area near a large creek bottom. The old bridge across the creek burned years ago, but some of the pilings still mark the crossing. The water was high because of recent heavy rains.

The photograph below is looking upstream from the bridge.

We also drove around my brother's and cousin's 650-acre hunting lease. My uncle previously owned it. The photograph below is from my cousin's wife's deer stand.

A nice, sunny day after the oppressive and dark rainy day of the funeral.