Rise and Fall

Lynyrd Skynyrd's “Simple Man” plays in the distance as the lightning from the approaching storm lights up the stick rack through the window - suspended just below the roof of the old weather worn shack. The storms have rolled across the lake for the past few days as August slowly begins the downward spiral of summer into Autumn – Hockey Season is drifting down from the top of the world with the Winter winds. The night turns white for an instance with each flash.”Listen closely to what I say – if you do this it will help you some sunny day” The seasons bring change every few months, yet some things remain unchanged through the years. The greatest game of all still stirs the blood in many who grew up in the land of ice and snow. (That's North of I90 if you're checking out a map of New York" That's probably why I'm standing here surveying my collection of old hockey sticks. Skates will need a good sharpening and soon the weather will become a little more comfortable around 30 ' Fahrenheit where it should be. Keep it simple – enjoy the game for what it is. I've put a fresh coat of blacktop on the driveway – not for looks, but for easier puck control. The old net is a bit tattered, but it looks good that way. There's a great line in one of the Eagle's songs:“We may lose and we may win, but we will never be here again” It's probably true, but I'll stick with Lynyrd Skynyrd's take on life and appreciate every simple moment I can. I should probably re-tape some of these sticks. Walking back to the house in the rain soaking through my shirt was kind of nice – because I know that soon this rain will be snow, and maybe even some will end up as ice under my blades. I need to straighten up the shed this weekend if I get time. I wonder how many pucks I'll find. The thunder is getting louder and the lighting is looking a little closer as the wind begins to pick up some strength. Speaking of strength; this is probably a good time to start eating some Jello for my knee – ------- orange Jello of course. “Every Mother's son” plays in the background as I start to turn off the lights and settle down for the night and watch the light show out the window.