I Can Feel It In The Air

Today was overcast and cloudy with heavy thunder storms this morning. There was a huge crack of thunder that shook my house. The dogs bound to their feet to bark at the maddening noise that stirred them from their deep slumber. As I left to drive to work, I pulled off to the shoulder as I met three volunteer fire trucks heading in the opposite direction. Never imagining where they were going.


It would not be until later that afternoon that I would find out where they were headed. Evidently, the thunder struck a salt water disposal tank and it burned down to the ground. Where we live in east Texas, there are oil tanks, tank batteries, and pumping jacks in every direction you turn not to mention natural gas pipelines. It is apparent that oil and gas reigns here as my husband's job is dependant upon it.


This place we call home now has so many good people. But yesterday, there was a man that was served divorce papers by his wife. He took her off to an oil well lease with the intentions of killing her. Some how by the grace of God, she did escape, but he was shooting at her as she was running away. Luckily, someone stopped their car and helped her get away. Their daughter attends high school and they locked the school down because he had threatened to kill her as well. The wife is in the hospital with a bullet to her arm. The husband went back to the oil well lease and took his life. This is not the usual in this small town. My husband's boss called him to check on the situation and people were sent to the oil lease.

I guess you can see why I don't always blog. You can not escape crime even in a small town of 2600 people. The next largest town is Shreveport, La. and I have stopped watching the news because of all of the crime. A police officer told me that Shreveport is safer now than twenty-six years ago. Gee, that makes me feel better. It seems that the news channels are right on any crime or murder because it keeps people watching the news. What happened to the good news? When someone saved an elderly woman's life or something positive happened? Times are so different now. Are people indifferent to all of this crime? Does crime affect your town?


On a brighter note I noticed today some signs of change. While sitting outside on my deck this afternoon, I can feel that soon Autumn will come soon. The sun shines softer as it shimmers through the leaves of the trees. If you look close enough, you can see the gradual turning of the leaves. It is so subtle that you could miss it. It begins with the saffaras trees. Their leaves turn first in the season from bright yellow to orange then red. It is like a beautiful symphany of sounds and colors that twirl in a soft gentle circular downward spiral. On a single whirl of the wind they fall purposely and very slowly in a long circling motion to the ground. It is awe inspiring to witness something so simple yet so powerful.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and Labor Day Holiday.