NEW BEGINNING

Here is my new back yard on a sunny November day

The forest begins on my property

 

This new blog is a continuation of my previous blog, Lone Star Concerto. I thought it best to separate Texas from Tennessee.



I did it. I finally made it from there to here. From the barren wastelands of west Texas to the lush wilds of the Tennessee mountains. I never thought it would happen. Truly. I was prepared to die in Texas. The enormous amount of troubles that I had there rendered my existence into a living death. My soul was extracted, my heart ripped out. And my will to live waned.

In all fairness, I can't blame Texas exclusively. Bad things happen everywhere. I can only speak from my own personal Texas experience. Trouble began happening to me the moment I got there and never stopped. The entire concept of the Lone Star State was in direct contrast to my nature, and - although I adapted to it - my faux cowboy existence was a sham.

Many details of my Texas years have been documented in Lone Star Concerto. I have no desire to rehash them now.

Every effort to leave Texas was thwarted and I had long given up hope.

And then.......

a small miracle suddenly occurred. After being on the market for four agonizing years, my Texas house finally sold. I only got a small fraction of what the place was worth. The three greedy, incompetent realtors received much more than their fair share. The buyers got one helluva deal. I lost money Big Time.

But I was finally free.......and the high price was worth it.

I chose to move to Tennessee because I wanted a complete change in my life. I have no illusions about paradise, perfection, or eternal happiness. But I have relatives here and some friends. I craved for new adventures in a lush, rural environment.

The process of moving always takes longer than expected, with unexpected detours along the way. When I initially made an offer on my new home, the owner was out of town. The realtor didn't get back to me with an answer for over two weeks. Life is slower in rural areas. Offer accepted!

The buying process went smoothly. I paid cash. Now I'm broke but relieved. And happy. I and my three cats had been staying with my cousin Nancy for over a month. She was an absolute saint and extremely helpful.
Anybody who could endure me and three cats for an entire month must be of the heavenly realm.

I moved into my new place on Thanksgiving Day. Due to an address mix up and the hectic holidays, my furniture won't be delivered until January. Since I can survive more easily without furniture than without the Internet, I bought a laptop to ease my withdrawal pangs. It's much more annoying to use than my desktop computer, but I'm getting used to it.

Spare us the verbosity, Jon, and cut to the chase. Where the hell are you exactly, and how do you like it?

Well, Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Texas anymore.

I was desperately craving peace and solitude in a deliciously rural environment, and.....well.....

Old Chinese Proverb:
Be careful what you wish for.......

I'm in the mountains, in the wilderness, in a remote area fifteen miles from town. Completely isolated, in the company of silence and at the mercy of Mother Nature.

Here's a view from the window, in the

room where I'm writing this. It's a bedroom

but I'm planning to make it my office.

 

I'm situated on two acres of a steep slope of a mountain. From my front windows I have a view of another nearby mist-covered mountain peak. My back yard is on the edge of a forest. There are hilly meadows nestled on either side of my property, inhabited by cows and horses. Birds and wildlife are abundant.

 

 

 

 At night I hear the screech of owls, the howl of coyotes and wild dogs, the sound of unknown creatures rustling through branches and dead leaves. Occasionally, I hear the crisp crack of hunter's rifles - reverberating sharply through the canyons.

 

There is wind here - but it's not like the brutal, foul, endlessly torturous winds of west Texas.

These are mountain winds - fresh, pure,

invigorating, blowing high through the treetops like a magical carillon. All the sounds of nature echo here, through canyons and branches of trees - resonating with the intricacy of a fugue improvised by Mother Nature.

My impressions are effusive but apt. I am more than impressed by these surroundings. I am astonished.

Icicles hanging from nearby cliffs

The photos are all from my cell phone
and are of poor resolution.


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