THE DOOR THAT WOULD NOT BE UNLOCKED UNTIL...

IT WAS THE DOOR THAT WAS
LOCKED FROM THE DAY
THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. HOW MANY MEN WOULD WALK ALONG THE ROAD TO FIND THE DOOR LOCKED, HOW MANY MEN WOULD DARE TO LINGER IN THE DAYLIGHT TO PRETEND A KEY WAS IN THEIR CHARGE? HOW MANY MEN WOULD DARE TO RETURN IN THE NIGHT TO GIVE THE DOOR A SECOND CHANCE TO OPEN EASY WITHOUT A SCENE OF UNEASY PRETENSE? WHAT TREASURES WOULD THEY FIND INSIDE THE ROOMS BEHIND THE DOOR THEY DARE NOT OPEN IN THE LIGHT? THERE IS NO NEED TO ASK THE MEN; THEY ARE NOT ALIVE NOW AND LIVED ONLY LONG ENOUGH TO ENTER IN THE NIGHT. THEY NEVER HEARD, THE STORY GOES, THE DOOR LOCK ONCE THEY WERE INSIDE. SO THE STORY GOES. I DO NOT KNOW. LIKE OTHERS WHO STILL WONDER, I WON'T EVEN PEER INSIDE THE DUSTY WINDOW PANES TO SEE WHATEVER REMAINS. BY ROBERT L. HUFFSTUTTER

IT WAS THEIR SHELTER THROUGH THE STORM

IT WAS A SHELTER FOR THE WILDLIFE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. DESPITE THE DOORS, THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THE OLD SHED THAT MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE A NEON WELCOME SIGN TO ALL THE ANIMALS THAT PASSED THAT WAY THROUGH THE YEARS. IN SUMMER, THE FARMERS SONS RETURNED WITH THEIR OWN AND TOLD THE BOYS ABOUT THE HOURS THEY SPENT PLAYING JESSIE JAMES AND DANIEL BOONE, THE ALAMO; WAR GAMES WITH NAMES ABOUT BATAAN AND NANCI, FRANCE WERE PLAYED THERE WITHOUT A COMMENT FROM THE DADS. A SUMMER CLUB FOR BOYS TO HANG AROUND AND GET READY FOR DRIVE IN DATES WITH , GIRLS AND MORE WARS. I GUESS IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY, ANOTHER MEMORY NOW SHARED BY GENERATIONS OF MEN TIME AND AGAIN. STILL, THE ANIMALS TAKE TIME TO STAY AWHILE IN THE DEAD OF WINTER WHEN IT'S BELOW ZERO OR SO. ARE WINTERS GETTING COLDER OR ARE MEN GETTING OLDER? PHOTO ESSAY BY R.L. HUFFSTUTTER