A Certain View

A Certain View

Written by Robert M. Koch

Spring was always an important time of year. Every year the trees bloomed, and the grass grew in thick and soft. Life began anew. Experiences began to flourish as people went back to their normal routines refreshed by the unchallenging weather. It brought hope and change. Colors returned to the neighborhood, and vibrancy to the sunsets every evening. The dawn was truly dawn, and the mornings were truly mornings. Spring was always an important time of year. 

 The town’s spirit was in full swing. Festival flyers were posted all over shop windows and telephone poles. People began eating outside much more. Rooftop bars and pizza shops began putting umbrellas on their outdoor tables for customers, which soon proved to be useful. Everybody was happy. The parks now had no snow as children played on the jungle gyms and others threw frisbee and played ball sports in wide open nearby fields you’d never know was there. The grass gleamed with sunlight, and the rivers ran busily over rocks, tree branches, and sediment. Fisherman were lined up along rivers and canals with their lines in the water hoping to catch their next biggest fish. Traffic returned to the streets; the hustle and bustle of an everyday life returned to the neighborhood with smiles and polite manners. Dog owners took advantage with their pet(s) on a morning stroll as cars drove by with windows rolled down for the first time in a long time. The town’s spirit was in full swing. 

Of course, Jerry had his hot dog stand up and running. Having his stand on the corner of Main Street, Jerry could see a variety of shops and eatery places from his workplace, and he always made sure he was at the front. The Irish pub was at the other end. It was a popular bar that had a lot of regular customers. Next to the pub was Carol’s Inn and Suites. There was a lot of tourism, especially around festival time, and the people liked that it was right next to the pub. It had a moderate view, but the real appeal was being right around pretty much anything a tourist would want to be near. After the hotel stood a four-star restaurant you did not want to leave without trying at least once. They had some of the tastiest Filet Mignon in the state, and to add to that the seasoning was done to perfection by a top chef in the state. Every out of towner went there, some every day. Reservations became a hassle to book, and people had to start making reservations two or three days in advance. After the restaurant was a coffee shop, then a nail salon. Across the street stood a variety of clothing shops and one more eatery, a burger joint. There was something for everyone; it was seemingly a one stop shopping trip for the whole town. Of course, Jerry had his hot dog stand up and running. 

I walked past all that. Following Main Street was a cement walkway that had overhanging tree branches from the canal that ran beneath it. Through the vegetation, I could see several fishermen who had lines in the water. They waited patiently, and stood beside their tackle boxes and coolers. The cement walkway led perpendicular to the canal, and on the other side had a huge field where many townsfolk had already set up picnics. A few couples were spread out over the field, but the biggest group was a church gathering on the other side of the field. They had picnic games like horseshoes, frisbee, and badminton. You could smell the grilled burgers and hot dogs from the other end of the field. They had a table full of toppings and napkins; there were several coolers with drinks and fruit. They were all gathering to celebrate the nice new weather right before the pastor gave some church announcements about the yearly events. Beyond the field of picnic – goers was a vast parking lot. Usually a good place for concerts, at the time there was a street hockey game between some neighborhood kids. They lived nearby and were gathered for some exercise. Cars lined the street around the field and leading up to Main Street. I walked past all that. 

The dawn was truly dawn. At the end of the vast parking lot was a large wooded area that led up to the mountains. With one last look back, I ventured into the woods. There was a lot of vegetation, including poison ivy and oak. Some invasive plants were still abundant in these parts of the woods, including Tree of Heaven. I walked up a hill, through the vegetation, that gave me an oversight of the mountain that was just past a valley of trees. Along my walk were logs with moss on them, and towering trees that blocked out sunlight. There was a certain nostalgia to it. I remembered about a time when I was younger; I and my friends would see how far we could make it before we’d have to turn back. It seemed so much more difficult back then. I walked past a huge boulder, which was already known to me from my previous hikes. I walked over a stream, and to my right I was shocked to see a huge rotting carcass just to the right of me. A black bear laid dead just off the pathway. It’s lifeless eyes were open, but only for the few flies who had just found the dead bear. Even more shocking was that it’s torso had been split, and inside was crawling with a variety of insects. Some intestines laid on the leaves in front of it, whereupon a pack of raccoons ate as they pleased. Ravens were gathered around the smell and, sure enough, pecked at the intestines left by the raccoons. I stood for awhile, partly in disbelief at what I had seen. Truly this could only be seen from a certain view. The dawn was truly dawn.