In the evening after dinner I walk up Silver Road, under a moon so bright it cast shadows at my feet. It’s unseasonably warm, and when the breeze blows, there’s the sound of rain pattering. Yet the sky is cloudless, and I puzzle over this for a moment until I realize that I’m hearing the small, dry rattle of falling leaves landing atop those that have fallen before. It’s hard to believe it’s almost November. It’s hard to believe winter will ever come at all.
Dean* passes me in his big, white truck, trailing – as he always does – the unmistakable odor of marijuana smoke. Dean’s a logger, and he’s built like one, short and stout and strong, and he tells me his doctor says he’s in real good shape for a man his age, which if I had to guess, is probably a year or two on either side of 60. He used to have a dog that looked just like him (or maybe he looked just like his dog, it’s hard to say, really), but that dog got hit by a car and died and now he has another one that doesn’t look much like him at all, though I suppose it could still happen. Sometimes these things take a little time.
I turn back where the road dead ends. When it’s daylight, I can see all the way to Caspian Lake from here, where the summer people host late afternoon cocktail parties with fancy cheeses and imported olives arrayed across beautiful lacquered cutting boards. Or at least, that’s what I imagine they do. Up here, the landscape is more open, the trees are set far back from the road, and I can no longer hear the falling leaves. A dog barks; another answers. Now the moon is behind me, and my own shadow lies long across the road. It’s just the vaguest likeness, though I’ll be damned if I don’t recognize the particular slant of my shoulders, the way they always seem bent a little forward, as if they’re in some sort of hurry to see what happens next.
*Some names in this story have been changed
Really digging this song by Ritch Henderson. Maybe you’ll like it, too.
Ben Hewitt 
Ben It’s Will Frey. As been years. I hope you are well, happy and sane. Have no idea when I last looked in. My loss. Carry on.
Will! It’s nice to hear from you. Perhaps we can meet here again a few weeks or so. Hope you’re well, happy, and sane, too.
Hi Ben and thanks for sending over this, it always seems to arrive just at the right time.
You certainly make your surroundings come alive through your prose that brings us all in close like a whisper and lives and breathes upon the page.
I liked your music link.
Here’s one, back atcha
https://youtu.be/du7iFGJZ9qo?si=XHQTiEiCyGc6dPkG
Hope you like it.
keep ‘em coming!
John b from Maine
Thanks for the music recommendation, John. Reminds me a bit of Steve Earle. I like it.
Hi Ben, yes he is very much like Steve Earl a bit little less polished perhaps and very raw and edgy. Which is what draws me to him.
Chris Knight is a story teller just like you. I’m glad you liked it and him.
I keep hoping he comes up to the NE for a tour, or someplace closer. I saw him two times live and was just blown away, When he backed up ole John Prime.
Take care, God Bless and stay safe!
JB
It’s always a good day when “Ben Hewitt” appears in my inbox. 🙂
We live in an area hit hard by Hurricane Helene. We and our animals are fine, thank goodness, and our home and outbuildings are as well. We are also just weird enough that being without grid power and internet or cell phone service for 16 days did not slow us down too much other than figuring out how to let people know we were ok. We have a giant mess which we have been picking away at slowly and will have firewood to last the rest of our lives, possibly. Silver linings, you know. After the storm, I had so many people checking on us – people I have not seen for years, people I speak to now and then, cousins from Europe, my childhood piano teacher, college and high school friends, family, etc. But, one contact that moved me so much was someone I have never met and have never heard her voice. She was previously a regular commenter here, as well, and we enjoyed each others’ comments and have been in contact with one another via FB for a long time. She reached out to me, offering support and encouragement and asking very thoughtful questions about our situation and the specifics of the hurricane impact here. That meant so much to me and made the world feel a little smaller, a little kinder and a little less divided.
If you ever wondered if this space was worthwhile, I hope this shows you that it is. Thank you for providing a space that encourages that kind of connection and the words to inspire that kind of thought. As always, I hope you are well. Peace!
Hi Dawn, Thanks so much for checking in and sharing that story. It’s really nice to hear. As it is that you came through the storm ok. I hope others in your community are coming through ok, too.
Ben – I am one of your “older” followers too. And I totally remember some of NCFARMCHICK’s comments over the years, and in fact saved some of them in my “Ben Hewitt Folder.” Totally by coincidence, your name came up last week in a conversation with a former mentee who became a business partner and is now a close friend. (I am recently retired from farming and will be 80 years old tomorrow.) The topic of our chat was ‘unschooling’ – a practice she used with her six homeschooled kids. Which led us to wonder about your unschooled boys. How are they? Where are they? I’ll bet they are independent as hell!! I hope you are all well.
Totally love receiving your postings. Not so long ago they were the highlight of my week. Keep it up!
Hi Gene, always a pleasure to hear from you. My boys are doing great. Rye’s a cowboy in Montana; Fin is a ski patroller during winter months and a whitewater rafting/kayak guide in the summer. He’s currently living about 3 hours away in north central MA. It makes me so happy to see both of them doing things they love.
No surprise about where your boys are and what they are doing. They were outdoor types from toddlerhood. I am so happy for them and for you. ‘Unschooling’ can definitely succeed! Glad you introduced me to that word and concept.
Ben – Great to wake up to your post this morning, a surprise as well. As always, you take me to a place of peace. Thanks. All the best.
Thanks, Tom, and all the best to you, too.
Seeing a new post makes me so happy! Thank you Ben. Be well!
Thank you!
Ben-your article is always the first one we read in Yankee. Keep up the good work, and thank you for sharing your heart. Rick and Richard in RI