Chainsaw in my Hand??

I was still stuffed when dinnertime arrived last night. I really didn’t feel like eating. I did go to the dining hall, and it was a good thing I was not hungry because the only item on my tray I could eat was the salad. This was one of those “lost” dinners for me since it was pork stir-fry with fried rice. I did give away all of my food which also consisted of a turkey burger, for the non-pork eaters and which I gave to my non-red-meat-eating friend. The salad was sufficient for me because I was still basking in the love from my dear friends.

After dinner, I was going to read more of “Armageddon”, but my plan went a little off base. Someone had asked me a tax question, and I spent the next hour explaining certain tax-related issues. I won’t go into the discussion because that would be even more boring than most of this blog! I will say that here are some very clever individuals in a place like this. I can only state what I know, and I believe I did shed some light on the subject matter. I was able to read a little more before going outside to enjoy the beautiful early evening air. I joined in a discussion with my friends from the “table” who were lounging on the grass. Our little group of four people has been labeled some very funny things such as; The View, Boy Scouts, and The Professionals’ Table! I find this very funny as do my three friends. Last night, I had given one of them “The Secret.” This same person had just completed reading “The Power of Intention.” We entered into a discussion regarding these books. Since he had just started “The Secret,” there really wasn’t much discussed about the book. “The Secret” is the law of attraction, and broken down to its basic level, it means that what a person asks for is what that person receives. Of course, life is not this simple, but I firmly believe in the concept utilizing all the tools from “The Power of Intention” and “The Secret.” These two books have had a profound effect on me, and as I took part in the discussion, I was saying things I don’t normally say. Normally, I try to stay neutral on most topics, but when it comes to intention, I have very firm beliefs. As I mentioned previously, I have added these concepts to my daily life, and I am very grateful.

The evening came to an end much like any other evening as the sprinklers came on. I went inside and almost finished “Armageddon.” I had only one more chapter to go, but it was my bedtime, and I was getting sleeping. I left the one chapter for this morning, which I did finish reading. This installment is most definitely the next to last in the series because most of the major characters are dropping like flies! Normally, one major character dies in the previous installments, but many more than one have died in this installment. The story remains very good, and once I finish reading “Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows,” I will read the last installment “Glorious Appearing” which will conclude the series. Prior to reading these books and prior to coming to prison, I had heard a great deal about this series, all of which were positive. I don’t consider myself a huge Christian believer, but these books have taught me a lot, and to me, it reads more of a mystery than anything else.

The early morning arrived very quickly, and with it started another work week. Taking one day off from exercising has served me well, but I do look forward to the Monday morning run. As the summer continues to move forward, the sunrise comes later and later. This morning, I spent the first 20 minutes of my run in darkness. Thankfully, the camp has enough lights, and these lights even illuminate the hill. As I ran on the hill, it felt strange as the sun was rising, but this morning was a beautiful sight. In southern California, there is something called a marine layer which predominantly arrives in June and lasts all this month. The marine layer was unusual this morning because it is August, but it was quite a sight. It started out as a loud layer over the mid-portion of the surrounding mountains. As the sun rose, this cloud layer rose and covered the entire valley. I watch all of this as I ran. Nature is wonderful. In days gone by, I wouldn’t think anything of this incredible sight, but now I am so much more aware of my surroundings. Speaking of my surroundings, I ran by a tarantula five times this morning. The tarantula is quite a scary sight being all black and much larger than a regular spider. This is the second time I have seen a tarantula in camp and the first time was last night. Apparently, these types of tarantulas are not poisonous because one of my fellow inmates picked up the tarantula and started to play with it. I’m not that adventurous, so I steered clear. I am in somewhat of a wilderness, and there is wildlife all around from the tarantulas to the rattlesnakes. This is quite eye opening for me whose idea of roughing it is Holiday Inn. I continue to learn so much, and I have a whole new appreciation for nature.

My run had concluded, and it was time to shower, dress, and breakfast portion of my day. All of these were uneventful, and it was time for work. Once again my crew returned to the mountain community to cut down the trees and brush. This seems to be our project until it is completed. I certainly do not mind, and today was a spectacular day weather-wise. There wasn’t one cloud in the sky, and that sky was the deepest blue I have ever seen. Also, there was a slight cooling breeze, and the temperature was quite comfortable. There area where we are working sits at about 5,000 feet above sea level, and we were above the marine layer. As soon as I got off the bus, I stared at the deep blue sky and felt very serene. Here I am serving a prison sentence, yet I get to experience the beauty of nature firsthand. I am blessed and so grateful for how all of this is working out for the very best.

The workday provided something very different for me. Our crew has two people who exclusively operate the chainsaws, and they have two apprentices who operate the chainsaws as well. On projects such as this one, everyone else pitches in to collect the cut brush and trees where they are placed in a pile. This has been my job for the past week. I maintain a positive attitude while doing this, and I get to experience clean mountain air. It is truly a positive experience. Today, one of my crew members who operates the chainsaw asked me if I wanted to cut down a few trees with the chainsaw. He wanted to give me a different experience. I don’t remember ever using a chainsaw at anytime in my life, so I was up for the experience. He gave me very good instructions on everything including safety. The next thing I knew I had a real live chainsaw in my hands. This is amazing because, please remember, I am serving a prison sentence, yet I get to experience cutting down trees with a chainsaw. I had fun with the chainsaw as I dropped a few small trees. Working with the chainsaw was invigorating, and I was happy to have the opportunity. As I was operating the chainsaw, I had to wear chaps, which are protective wear to protect my legs from any mishap with chainsaw. The chaps are much like shin guards are to a catcher in baseball, but they extend the whole leg. The person who gave me the chaps is much bigger than me, so there were some major adjustments. I am the skinniest guy on the crew, so I am sure these chaps looked funny. I did not care how they looked. I welcomed the opportunity to use the chainsaw. It was a very fun experience, and I preferred cutting down the trees as opposed to carting them away.

It was a great day on the grade, and the day passed very quickly. Before I knew it, we were heading back to camp. In a world of how certain events take place, while I was cutting down the trees with the chainsaw, other members of my crew, who were on the opposite end of the hill, were getting stung by bees. Thankfully, none of them were seriously injured, and the ironic part is I am allergic to bees. I was diagnosed when I was 12 years old as being allergic. I may have outgrown this allergy. In fact, I am positive I have outgrown it, but in the area where I worked, there wasn’t a hint of any bees. Is this really a coincidence or the way it is intended? I have my opinion on this which I will keep to myself, but the more these “coincidences” arise, the more I am positive that this is the way things are intended for me.

We arrived back at camp for the shower, dress, and go to dinner portion of my day. My friend who does the ordering for the kitchen is doing everything in his power to ensure I have enough food to eat. The dinner tonight was chili dogs, but my friend saw to it that there were items we both could eat. He helped make a very delicious garden salad complete with spinach, lettuce, green peppers, cilantro, tomatoes, jalapenos, and radishes. There was also rice for me to eat, which was an addition. The salad was very good, and so many other inmates raved about it. I certainly had enough rice and corn to fill me up. Once again, everything is working out extraordinarily well for me, and my friend will see to it that I get enough food. I am so grateful for everything in my life and all the great people I have come to know. Quite frankly, I had no idea I would meet great people in a place like this, but I certainly have. My life is great. Before I sign off for today, I would like to say Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law. I hope you had a great day. Happy Birthday!!