The flames from the campfire were dancing all around, while the embers drift away slowly and remind me of fire flies darting around wildly on a hot summer night in the south. It is a peaceful evening with only the sounds of the wildlife to add a voice to my surroundings. The day has been long and tiring. It feels nice just to relax and lie back and gaze at the enormity of the heavens. It makes a man feel small in comparison, yet it welcomes you and urges thoughts and memories to cascade into your mind. I kicked off my boots and relaxed into the chair and closed my eyes.

I thought of my youth and adventures I have lived. I remembered first loves, swimming in the creek and my first slow dance on a Saturday night. Halloween and the first scary movie I saw with my girlfriend. I chuckled a little as I remembered how scared I was, but how bravely I acted in front of her. I also remembered how she would move closer to me, as if she knew I could protect her from all the monsters. I can see her freckles and remember how she would flip her hair with nervous fingers as we sat close together. What wondrous times we enjoyed as kids. It is sad though that we didn't know how wonderful they were until they were gone. It's not so sad to lose the innocence of youth; the sadness comes in not knowing then, that we would lose it.

I reached into the cooler and grabbed a cold beer. I whistled for Bode and tore him off another piece of meat from the brisket I had cooked for supper. I leaned back and let my mind drift. Not thinking about anything, but instead just letting thoughts and memories flow freely in my mind.

I see the bridge coming up and not another headlight for miles. I stopped the car and we jumped out onto the bridge. The old wooden planks creaked loudly as we walked toward the edge of the bridge and grabbed hold of the old iron rails. The moon was full and you could see its reflection clearly in the still water below. It was as though you could reach down and touch it. The dust from the dirt road covered the bridge like a blanket giving it an appearance of an old chalk board from school. Spider webs glistened in the moonlight and the sound of crickets and frogs replaced the silence of the night. I was gazing off into the darkness when she ran to the car and turned the radio up loud. There was no traffic on this old country road and we just danced and held each other close, lost in the music. Her kisses were soft and our embrace was warm... Love was easy back when we didn't try too hard............

I watch a shooting star as it brings life to the quiet and motionless heaven. I raise up and reach around for that cookie I had dropped a minute ago. I knew if I didn't get it, Bode would. He got to it a second before I did. Danged old dog, I hope he enjoys it...I rummaged through the paper sack and found a fudge brownie. As I took the wrapper off, I caught the glimpse of another meteorite blazing its way through the heavens. Seeing that chunk of metal soaring through the sky reminded me of an old pinball machine I used to play every day at our little bowling alley back home. There was usually a line of kids at the machine and it was pretty easy to win games, so it could take a while before it would be your turn. Ah, but I had an advantage, I worked at the bowling alley so I could play before we opened the doors. I really enjoyed that old machine. Not sure they even make them anymore. Probably all replaced with video games. That's a shame. You could "feel" the old pinball machines. A vibration in your hands, the flexing of your muscles as you hit the flippers, that little dance you did with your feet as you tried to use your body to get the ball where you wanted it to go.

Working at that old bowling alley was my first job. I was only 16. I can still smell the odor which lingered in the back. There were no automatic pin setters. It was all done by hand. We were called "pin boys", and we worked in the "pit". It was fun, hard work and educational. Most of the boys were older than me and so I was educated about the "birds and the bees" while dodging bowling balls and flying pins. I was a sponge soaking up everything I was told and heard. I learned to smoke, cuss and how to roll a pack of cigarettes in the sleeve of my white tee shirt.

My car was a 1953 Chevrolet. It was black with a white interior. Roll-pleated vinyl seats and a three speed on the column. I can still feel the dampness of the seats from the hot Texas summer. No air conditioning, just the warm summer wind as it blew through the open windows. The old AM radio would pick up a few stations and any cares and concerns about life, were thoughts for the future.

It is the winter of 1967. I am nearly 18 and the thoughts of Vietnam fill my thoughts. The draft was in place and a lottery system was used to pick the young men for war. I had a low number which meant that most likely I would be drafted as soon as I graduated from school. Several of my friends have already left for basic training. I knew the day the letter arrived just by the tears in my mother's eyes. I can see the look on her face and the pain in her heart as I drove away.......

Bode broke my thoughts as he jumped from the sound of coyotes barking just over the hill. I called him to me and stroked his back and neck as he lay down next to my side. I reached for another cool beer and adjusted myself in the chair as we relaxed to sleep in the moonlight.