Breathing in the Emptiness

I dropped my wife and children off at the airport 24 hours ago. They normally return to Michigan during the summer to visit family. Nearly all of our relatives are there. As always, they ask me to join them and as always, I decline. Not that I wouldn’t like to go back for a visit but spending a week living with my in-laws is not my idea of a vacation.

So I have the house to myself for 9 days. I spent today just enjoying the quiet. Adjusting to the slower pace of just me. Well, Little Pork Chop is here, but she slept all day. We are moving at about the same speed.

Beside work, I’ll be keeping my own schedule. No need to ask what everyone wants for any meal. I even get control of the computer.

I’m hoping to complete a writing project I’ve been bouncing around in my head. Best-case scenario, it changes my life. Worst-case scenario, I’ll have a neat story to share. We will see. I even hope to get in some random blogging.

I took a walk this evening as the sun was setting. To the east, a storm was trying to break into the valley, the sky a mix of grey and blue with bolts of lightning streaking through. To the west, a pink, orange, and purple sunset was fading behind the silhouette of the mountains. Only the sound of the wind rustling leaves and padding of my footsteps to be heard.