'WINTERS MOUNTAIN"


     Sitting here this bright and crispy day...February 16, 2015.  To get a phone call from a friend.  His stated on the phone, "I was reading a book about this man's life back in the 1920's, traveling to this mountain and found gold nuggets in the surrounding area of Washington, State.  It supplied his income for his life time.  When he was 80yrs old, and he thought he would let someone else know about this mountain and where the gold was.  His friend came with him on his next journey,  The old man fell and broke his hip, and he tied to tell his friend where it was.  He always took a different route all the time.  He could never find it, nor anybody else for that matter."  But the sound of the name gave a ring to my ear, 'Winters Mountain.'

     Do you think maybe, a book, a song, a story line to be made into a movie.  I pray, "Lord give me a story, give me a song, a melody, maybe to write a play.  Maybe much more, a gift to see some gold dust falling from the sky."

     We start on this fall October winding day.  Looking towards the mountain we lived by.  As my Grandma used to talk about, the good old days.

     My two brothers, my cousin Jake, and myself sitting on the porch in October.  When we heard the dogs barking.  As all four of us turned around to see, through the tree comes a gush of wind.

     As she Grandma Gritty speaks up, "The mountain is silence, but is seems every time we speak of it existence, a gush of  wind whipes through the trees, just as you boys just saw."

     By then all four of us are standing up now.  Wondering, is these stories true about the good old days?

     "Winters Mountain has a nice ring to it, huh?"  as Tom speaks up.

     My other brother Tom and Skit and of course, myself Peter looked at one another as Grandma speaks again, "You boys just heard the wind come through the trees.  Jake your dad knows the stories too.  He was there that day, when it all came about."

     "What came about, Grandma?"

   Grandma speaks,  "The mountain has a claim the land below.  There are times when things would appear before our eyes.  Someone would be stuck in the mud and no one else was around to help them.  But a gush of wind would appear and whom ever it was would be set free

     One of the neighbor's daughter, Sally was taken from her porch by old man that didn't live around here.  And of course all the neighbors were out looking for her.  It took a couple of days to have her back with us.  But her story was told, the guy took her back to his place locked her up.  The next evening came to this place where Sally was locked up, to have his way with her.  This came through the door, a gush of wind pinned the old man to the wall and Sally was set free.  Then all of sudden the wind picked her up and set her back down close to he property where she lived.

     It seemed, Winters Mountain took care of his people that lived on the land, that was called, Walt's Meadow.  Tuck way back in beautiful trees.  You can see the tip of the mountain in the spring time.  It looks like any other mountain.  The trees blooming with yellow flowers budding, and green leaf's appearing from the winter months of the ice cold.  And the summer glistening from the sun light gold dust falling from the sky.  To the land where we the farmers labored and worked.  As we cultivated the land.  We would reap a harvest that was plentiful for all us.

     Each year it would come and the neighbor's in surrounding area.  Heard the stories of Walt's Meadow having enough to feed the families.  Or the story I just told you about.  We grew up believing the mountain protected, US!  And no one could mess with US."

     Grandma Gritty sat in her rocking chair, closed her eyes, and said with a small sigh, "But in the sprintime, summer, or fall.  We would come together and stories would be told.  However, we were so used to it.  We took it for granted."

     As winter approached and the snow would fall.  The land would be covered like a blanket of snow, Winters Mountain, was quiet.  In those days, and times the quietness of the people the wood burning stoves, hibernation, was Walt's Meadow.  Winter months on the calendar started in December 21 and ended in March, a four month period.  Like the animals in the forest.  The ones that hide-berate, sleep and Winters Mountain seem to do the same.

     The story has been told of the fall of 2017.  The rain was coming down so hard the Walt's Meadow were having mud slides and families was loosing their land and lives were being lost.  Two families lost their children, Moms and Dads were missing.  And no where in site was the gushing wind coming through the trees, and no gold dust falling from the sky.  It wasn't happening and all the land was grubbing, Winters Mountain isn't taking care of US, he has forgotten US.  No where in site, disaster came and so sign of any protection.  And the children, the setters, and the farmers, was in such a state of confusion.

     The town's people decided to have a town's meeting.  "We are being destroyed and we have to do somethings about it."  Then town people realized.  We can help one another for a start.  Mary over here needs a new roof, we can do that.  Hey, I got some lumber to build a shed for Sally's dad to keep his chicken's in.  I can take care of the four kids that just lost their dad and mom in the flooding we just had.  As the town worked together.  They found the blanket of snow was melting and the town was helping neighbor's.  And there was joy back in their faces, life was better.

     Grandma spoke up, "We leaned a big lesson, while Winters Mountain was quiet.  Think maybe he was teaching US.  Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Love your neighbor."

     On this cold October day my brother's Jake my cousin, and myself.   Looked at each other and said all at the same time, We thought, "It just spooky stories.  But Grandma gave us some in site that made some sense."

     While the town Walt's Meadow always making sure.  A new family moved in, to welcome them.  Take food to the neighbor's house and to the Dad that just lost his job.  Because the sun would come out and you see the gold dust falling from the sky.  And mountain always the same, yesterday, today, and forever.

     A mountain that gave a town a glimpse of giving... and so much more.

written by Betty J. Wedekind
(C) 2015