The wind stirred the heat slowly across the prairie like a giant convection oven, browning the fields evenly on all sides until the earth began to split from lack of moisture. A lone figure walked along the dusty road, stopping occasionally to look over its shoulder. Two shadows trotted faithfully beside it, leaving only to chase a grasshopper or pounce on an imaginary dust devil.

The sounds of the prairie were strongest in the shade of the solitary tree that sat on the road’s edge. Here a small pool had managed to keep its shape and all manner of things had taken refuge near its life-giving waters. Sand pipers, their long thin legs wading in and out of the shallows, were dining on the less fortunate water beetles and mosquitoes. Frogs lay nestled deep in the mud, their eyes ever alert for a wayward cricket or horse fly. The tracks of cattle and antelope made convenient water dishes for the lone skunk and a few field mice.

The two shadows ran quickly for the pool, tongues lolling and sides heaving, anxious to get in a few licks and then perhaps a bird or two. The figure continued to walk, unaware and uninterested in the life that lay so near. It continued to look over its shoulder, now running, now walking, looking back again as if expecting to be rundown at any moment.

So, funny story. I was instructing the students in the appropriate care of mealworms when I noticed two strange men walking through my yard. We don't really get door-to-door evangelists out here, so my immediate thought was, "Someone must be lost. Great, and they're here in the middle of school." The kids forgot all about worms that eat meal and were running around in a panic trying to figure out who these guys were. After getting them settled in their desks, I walked into the yard to see what was going on.
A tall black man in a Dish network t-shirt and a shorter, perspiring, roundish fellow were standing on my doorstep. No vehicle was to be seen.
"Uh, hello, yah, we work for Dish network and our van blew a tire a little ways up the road. We are looking for some assistance," queried the Dish man in a distinctly Jamaican accent. "We don' really know what to do, we need a tow truck, maybe from Ekalaka?"
I didn't know what to do, but I invited them in and gave them some water (roundish guy looked like he might pass out if he didn't get some soon) and started to call around. Of course, no one answered - you don't find too many folks inside before seven during haying season. Finally someone called back, and I got the information I needed. After calling Ekalaka twice, I discovered the closest towing establishment was in Rapid City, South Dakota, at least two and a half hours away. The guys, Adrian and Nate, finally decided to take my jack and see if they could remove and repair the tire. They took my car to their van, got the tire of, and discovered it was completely destroyed.
In the meantime, my students were struggling with handwriting and who should appear? BOTH of my superintendents, popping in for a surprise visit. I got them sequestered to the back table and began the students' homeward preparations. During this time the guys returned to share the news that their tire could not be replaced. After getting the run-around at his home office and a quick call to Ekalaka, Adrian and Nate took my car to town to pick up a new tire.
The students were shuttled home (finally), I had a nice long visit with my superiors, and then I waited to see when and if my car would come back.
Around five-thirty a Dish van and my little green subaru rolled into the yard with a very grateful Jamaican inside. "You are such a sweetheart! I tell you, you ever go to Jamaica? You call me, some friends and I have a condo there and you ever want to vacation there, you just call, I will take care of you. God bless!" A quick hug, exchange of phone numbers, and the Dish van was rolling again.
Which just goes to show you, God can use you anywhere. And get you sweet Jamaica vacations and Dish discounts to boot.

Wow. It's been three years since I've used this blog. So much has happened since then. My purpose in using it now is to share some of my writing with those of you who would like to help me become a better writer, those of you who would take precious time out of your day to peruse my work and comment on its contents. I hope to write something every day, good or bad, and post it. I don't know that anyone besides Pat and Jesse will read it, but that's all I need. Perhaps, someday, I'll be able to finish that children's book...