Mr. Billy L. Campbell

I am standing where a tree once stood dying. The house foundation was placed too close to the roots. Lightening finally declared its demise. I cut it down out of necessity. The leafless branches tried to scratch the roof when the wind blew. After cutting all the menacing branches away, I found dead wood housing insects. A month of labor after work and weekends, I was down to the roots almost three feet underground.

The chainsaw left a hole and a lot of fine wood shavings. I filled it in with equal parts of peat moss and planting soil. A local nursery supplied red, pink and white hibiscus. We had some oleanders from California and some other plants that outgrew their pots. The empty space filled in over the following months. The Texas sun and my oldest daughter adding Miracle Grow to the soil, produced some colorful foliage to replace the dead oak.

I like to watch things grow. Clearing the way for new and fresh ideas puts an excited glow on my face. The seeds of a story blossom in my spirit and I have been blessed with time to write them down. Life supplies the sun, water and nutrients for growth. Every now and then the miracle grow is poured on me by family, friends and God sent travelers along the way. I hope you enjoy the bits of life scrolled across the pages. If you are alive, you know that sometimes the sweat and toil expended will pay off in a picturesque moment.