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| Smoking Outside |
It never snows in Texas, but we enjoy it when it does. Well, those of us who don't have to travel in it do. When winter weather strikes, the area pretty much shuts down. Schools close down. You constantly hear about automobile accidents. Mainly, it's because many people don't know how to drive in snow and ice. On very rare occasions I've seen snow chains on a vehicle. I wouldn't be afraid to speculate that most people in the area don't own snow chains.
The last time it snowed, I found evidence of something that I don't think I was supposed to see. Occasionally throughout 2024, I would go outside to smoke a cigarette. One of my children has asthma and can't tolerate the smell of burning tobacco. I understand, so I simply leave the house to smoke.
The eastern tree line of our property is not too far from the house and the front porch. A few times during the year I could look east and just barely tell where the electricity pole is. I'm very familiar with its location because it's a hassle to mow around it. Sometimes when I looked, I thought I could see an enormous, bear-like figure standing behind the pole, just inside the tree line. Strangely, when I spot-lighted that area, nothing would be there. I assumed that I was just seeing a large pine tree, or that my eyes were playing a trick on me in the dark.
The habit of going outside to smoke has continued into the winter. I freeze to death, but I still have the habit of smoking, so I continue to go outside. A couple of days ago we got eight inches of snow. I went out to smoke and, as usual, noticed the pole that holds the power line. I also thought I could see the bear standing behind the pole. I'm so accustomed to it that I ignored it. I finished my cigarette and headed back into the house.
The next day, I had an idea. I could never see tracks or any other evidence, but maybe I could since snow was still on the ground. I walked to the tree line to take a look.
Inside the tree line were footprints. They weren't a bear's tracks. They weren't a man's tracks either - though they were similar to human tracks. Whatever it was had been barefoot, and the prints themselves were deep...and almost 24 inches long.
I don't know what comes to the tree line to stare at me. I'm not sure that I want to know. I just hope it continues to stay in the woods. The next time I see it, I think I'll just go back inside. Perhaps it can be my motivation to quit smoking.
The End
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