It could have been spring, summer, or autumn as it happened so many times. At evening I would sit on the grass, leaning against a fence post, and watch the setting sun paint the undersides of the clouds yellow, then orange, then red changing to dull red as the sun's paint bucket spilled onto the curtain of the sky itself. The whole bright sky then repeated the sequence. Rowdy, my dog, a border-collie, lay beside me. When I was outside we were inseparable. To find one of us was to find the other. Sue would approach and speaking that half-meow/half-purr that cats make for "Hello" would climb into my lap. Rowdy was not jealous for he had been raised with the cats and all accepted each other as family. While all of the cats were tame and enjoyed being petted, only Sue or Diana would seek me out for affection. Diana mainly indoors, Sue mainly outdoors. Sue would then stand, front paws on my chest, and lick my chin or nose as I stroked her. After a couple of minutes she would curl up in my lap, purring softly.

As the sky faded the stars turned on, one by one. I had developed an interest in astronomy and tried to learn their names. When it was fully night I would lie on my back to see the full heavens. The Milky Way was easy to see, a fuzzy ribbon that cut the sky in half, as I searched for the patterns and names that I had read about. There was Vega, and there was the blurry dot that was Andromeda, the only galaxy that can be seen with unaided eye. Sometimes a meteor would steal the show for it's half second of life. When I lay down Sue would shift from my lap to stretched out on my chest, her head under my chin, still purring as I petted her.

The night song of the south Texas countryside slowly began. First the frogs from the pond in the valley, counterpointed by the crickets, with parts for the occasional cow or owl. When night was fully come the coyotes would join in a serenade. So I lay there beneath uncountable diamonds, deep in the heart of Texas, Sue purring upon my chest, Rowdy at my side. Poverty? I was rich!

Copyright © Wayne D. Cowey
July 4, 1998