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• After a long and difficult week of work, I enjoy escaping from Dallas and getting away. During the summer, this is often not a problem. For the second time this month, Larry, Chris, and I have gone down to Valley Mills to prepare the property for hunting season. This means clearing back some brush, trimming trees, and mowing the field in addition to starting the corn feeders, repairing the blinds, and everything else that has to be done months in advance. Even though its a great opportunity for me to get away and recharge by doing some manual labor, I feel bad about having to leave Melissa behind to accomplish this.
• It's good to know that some things never change. We got into Valley Mills a bit late and decided to grab a burger in town before we went to the property. I don't think I even need to name the only burger joint in this small town. However, we did get there about fifteen minutes before the visiting team left town from their final scrimmage before the regular season begins. Every Friday night for the last 40 years and for the next 250, I'm sure the high school bus comes by (or will) and picks up (or will pick up) 3 or 4 dozen burgers, drinks, and gets on down the road.
  
• Coming back from Valley Mills often means bringing back some painful reminders. The cuts and bruises are expected. Two weeks ago, I brought back some chiggers; last weekend, I brought back some poison ivy. Melissa says I can't go down there any more.
  
• As the main goal was to get away for the weekend, I thought it would be a perfect time to start the Crazy Horse biography I picked up. I, like him, don't like being around crowds of people for too long a period. I prefer to call it anti-society, not anti-social. Anyway, I got to thinking that a lot of people say men become savages when left to their own devices; I respectfully disagree. I'm not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but that house on the property is as clean, if not cleaner, than our own homes. We do our own shopping and cooking, our own cleaning, our own laundry, make our own beds, vacuum, and clean the bathroom. But there's some odd force between Milford and Dallas that erases that particular skill set and we're just as clueless as when we left.