Every child needs a private place to daydream and think their own thoughts, and I found my place on the slanted roof of the cow shed.  It faced the woods, so no one in the house could see me, making me feel secure in my solitude.

Alone here, I thought about all the marvelous things I was reading in the Wonder World Books.  I read about the Greek Gods, and was immersed in their mythology, the Goddess Athena being my favorite.  I kept looking in the woods for the white owl that was named for her.  Lying here I also watched the circling hawks and buzzards, and visualized the unseen winds from the descriptions in the Books, how they made lift for the birds to soar, how they shaped the clouds and affected the trees with their unseen force.

Those early interests in the clouds and sky and winds have been a life-long interest and pleasure.  Here at Cokesbury in my old age I watch the hawk from our woods daily, the vultures that soar during the heat of the day, and the ever changing cloud scene.  How important this connection with nature has been for me all of my life.