sabre

I used an old trick last night, one that I hadn't thought about in years. I was tired, but having trouble falling asleep. This happens to me occasionally.....even back when I was little. It suddenly came to me that Dad had a trick that always worked without fail when I was little. We would get dressed and go outside for a night walk. Usually only for 1/2 hour, but if it was a particularly nice night, we might be out for an hour. We would walk in the pasture or sometimes head out towards the corn and bean fields north of the house. Somewhere along the way, we would always stop to just listen to the night. The nighthawks, with their shrill cry would be heard overhead, but never seen. An old owl in the cottowood tree would hoot at us to let us know that he was watching and keeping an eye on us. Coyotes would set up a chorus and talk to each other from 1/2 mile away. The coal train would blow it's whistle and sound it's horn at the grade crossing 6 miles north of us. Sometimes the moon would light our way and on dark nights, the stars were so bright, they looked close enough to reach up and pluck from the black sky with your fingers. Eventually we would make it back to the house and I'd fall asleep the minute my head hit the pillow.

So at 1am, I got out of bed, dressed and went for a night walk, that I hadn't taken for a long, long time. Somehow, Dad was there with me and nothing had changed.....the sounds of the night still fascinated me and held me in awe. The cool night air did it's trick and by the time I got back into the house and slid under the bed covers, I was asleep.

Sometimes the old tricks.....are the best tricks.