Is it really so Strange?

Todd and I had an interesting weekend, and mine seemed to hinge on some weird breakdown between nature and man, reality and fantasy. I first noticed the chickens. Todd and I stopped at a gas station, because Quint (the dog) seemed a little carsick. We had been in stop and go traffic out of Atlanta. Todd went in for a coke and I walked Quint in some tall grasses in the empty lot next to the gas station. I was standing there, thinking about the fact that I had a weekend sans children ahead of me, when I heard what sounded like a clucking, and looked down to see two chickens standing about five feet from me. The chickens, Quint, and I all kind of looked at one another, then Quint and I watched as the chickens walked off into some tall grasses.

Todd and I hit the road, and decided to stop in a small town called Newborn. We had often passed a restaurant called Bess's Place, and finally decided to try it for dinner. When we drove up, we noticed a small helicopter in the field next to the restaurant. This is rather odd, as Newborn is in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Sure enough, as we sat down to our ribs and pulled pork on the patio, the helicopter lifted off and flew away. Not something I see every day.

It was dark by the time we left the restaurant, and the darkness is damn dark on the country roads of Newton, Jasper, and Putnam counties. We saw deer (not that unusual) and a creepy guy standing next to a mailbox on the side of the road, no house in sight, and just standing there. Then, I looked down a side road towards a security light high on a pole. Darkness was all around, but just under the light was a completely white, almost glowing horse, looking straight at me. Then there was the deer outside the screened porch at the lakehouse, just staring at us, as the dog barked and growled and the hair stood up on his back.

Okay, so upon reading what I've written, it just doesn't sound as weird as it was, but I swear, it was creepy and strange. And I liked it.

Oh, and happy birthday to the old ball and chain. I had a wonderful time this weekend, especially our boating excursion.