Down along the roadside in the holler there were still lots of white and lavender asters, and even a few bidens blooming in the ditches. Up here on top of the cleared ridge, there had already been a couple of hard frosts. All the fall flowers in and immediately around the graveyard had been frost killed. The ridge was girded by the forest, however, and along that edge blue wood asters, some late goldenrod, and even a bit of ironweed still bloomed. Billy brush-hogged the graveyard itself 3 or four times a year, and the hardy grass was green as a lush pasture in the cooler temperatures of fall. Up against the gravestones, protected from early frost by the sun-warmed granite, chickweed formed pillowly mounds at the base of the markers.

They made a quick homage at Cassie and Kathy's markers, then parked themselves in the center of the cemetery enjoy their lunch. They sat there in the fall sun, not avoiding anything, just being. The surrounding hills were awash in color. The annual swan song of the forested hills. To be sure, all those trees were second, even third growth.

"Does that matter?" Sharon wondered outloud. "Had they never been clear-cut at all, a substantial population would still have been at least 2nd growth. Nothing lives forever, after-all. Before the hills and trees were towering mountains, so steep and sharp and severe that only bare faced rock and alpine plants were there. Before that were swamps and seas. Before that, who knows? After the seas, and at intervals throughout the long ages when towering new mountains were shoved up, only to slowly wash down creeks and rivers to seas, glaciers descended, moved,knocked down ancient virgin forests, carved out highland glades. Gaia."

"Do tell," said Billy. "Like you say, it doesn't matter. What is now, is now. That's good enough for me. If I got to explain where I am comin' from with what I say next, yer answer ought to be no. If I don't have to explain where I am coming from, your answer ought to be yes.

"I'm thinkin' we are supposed to get nekkid and let nature take it's course. I don't think it is about lust or breakin' my marriage vows. I don't even know that gettin' nekkid will result in any activity most folks, especially my wife Hazel who I love dearly, would disapprove of. I don't know what I am sayin' or thinkin', Sharon. I'm just sayin' what is comin' to me to say.




Or does it?