A Place in my Heart

Today I visited a place where time stands still; a place to forget about the troubles of the day; to let wonder and imagination take over, and a place where dreams are made, and a place where I often find my Dad. This place is one I’ve traveled so many many times and a place that will forever remain in my heart. It’s an unlikely place that over time has become hallowed ground for our family and those few friends and relatives that have traveled there.

Today as I set out on my afternoon walk with the dogs I found myself scaling the steep hillside and embankment under the Oak Ridge Ditch and following the dogs along the path that runs next to the ditch, leading west towards the Crystal Mine. For a moment I could feel little Sam in the backpack wiggling on my back, squealing with delight as we went along our way; Meg singing as she walked along throwing the stick in the ditch for the dogs; and little Jake hiding behind a clump of willows to jump out and scare us as we passed, then giggling at his “mission accomplished.”

The dogs and I crossed the ditch and found a path above the hill that took us to our destination. As I walked along the hillside sparkled in the sunlight with with the “crystals” (Mica chips) the kids used to love to find. I remember their faces as they marveled at the beauty of Mother Nature’s creation. The crystals seemed particularly bright and translucent today as I collected them as we walked along. The rule has always been to stock the mine with all but a token crystal that visitors were allowed to take home.

The doggies and I arrived at the Mine, which sits on a shale hillside above the Oak Ridge Ditch. Ringed with a border of sandstone the Mine is a collection of crystals the kids and I have collected over the years. Funny, but today I noticed today that the crystals seemed most abundant on the barest of places, where without looking you’d just think it was a rocky hillside.

We (the dogs and I) sat and looked over the ranch and watched the world go by from the Crystal Mine, As we sat, I recounted some of the most memorable adventures and conversations with the kids from the very spot where I was sitting. I could hear the Sandhill Cranes in the distance and thought of my Dad, and how I wished he were here with me. Time ticked away, and even the dogs relaxed and just took it in. Tears of gratitude rolled off my cheeks, as I gathered up the dogs and my newly collected handful of Crystals and descended the hill. (sorry guys I’m breaking the rules.)

How can a place this beguine and this non-descript become such a touchstone and a place of refueling in my life? I guess the answer remains as does the Crystal Mine in a very special place in my heart. Those of you who know it’s value and have visited will be receiving a crystal from today in the mail.