Well just a point in time. Nothing unusual. My aged old parents are away for 5 weeks and my daughter and her brood are housesitting for 2 months away. (ten miles away, but away). As I get older I've learned to cherish solitude in away. Things and people have come and gone. I built my house and planned to live alone. (Thats another story, later, ...maybe.) Anyway, I was sitting today out on the porch abusing a brew and my old friend Pint wandered down the road and asked how was I doing with everyone being gone. Well what could I really say.....I can walk from one end of my own home without anyone saying "Pappy could you do...this, that, or something else for me..." . Well, me and Pint sat on the porch awhile. Then we talked about the old Navy days and what we used to do to pass time. Some how we both still had our baseball gloves and started to pitch. Then OC and his son came down from the "Bunk House" as some call it and joined in. I have several hired hands. Then some more came down and we started a game of ball. Pints team won. I lost. As the crew retired to Monaville dance hall they asked me to come along, and I respectfully declined. Pint as usual declined such shenanigans too. Soon we both were left on the porch (winded but feeling youthful). We sat awhile, resting. Then I saw the stars coming out and remembered the grandkids birthday present! A telescope! I fetched it out and started perusing the sky and what wonders! Pint was amazed as I was and could hardly go about his drinking without wondering what this or that looked like. As time passed we sat and drank a few homemade brews and searched for obvious celestial sites as the ends of the universe and all. Pint asked me a very direct question. Something he usually doesn't do. He asked me if I was lonely since everyone was away. I asked that he follow me through my house. From the Crab Shack through the dog run. To the kithchen, throught living room, the hallway to the first bedroom. Then to the Master bedroom. Then back to Crab Shack. Silence. Peace. Quite. We both went back outside and looked around for my favorite constellaltion..........the Crab Nebula. ...........well? ...do you miss the family Pappy? Pint asked. I've truly asked myself that. To be perfectly honest............no.