It's Not the Dirt: Real Gifts from a Life Outdoors

If you grew up in rural America, during the 1960’s and 1970’s, you probably had ample chances to be outdoors. You may remember the sights and smells of leaves on the ground during November and the earthiness of the yellows, reds, and browns as you jumped into a pile. You may recall the smell of smoke wafting over the neighborhood as the annual leaf fire was lit. You probably think back to the thrill of that first hunt or the wondrously strong pull of that first fish at the end of a line. With a thankful heart, you may simply ponder the excitement you felt when there was a whole new world to be explored…beyond the doors and within the woods and fields. If you were like me, you could not wait to get outside and see the animals, learn about them, experience them in their habitat. And that need still follows you today. Maybe like me, you had a tie to a certain stretch of riverbank, or to a beautiful ten acres of woods… or to a farm. And perhaps it is there that you’ve spent some of your best days…and discovered what is truly important. In It’s Not the Dirt I try to describe how the outdoors has meant so much to me, to my friends, and to my family. Treasured are the times spent fishing on a coastal river, raking leaves with my grandmother, learning to hunt, and roaming the woods and fields and ditches of my youth. Within these pages, I relay how growing up so close to the land and experiencing the messages relayed by the rhythms of nature, has brought me a lifetime of enjoyment and comfort in all that God has created.If the outdoors, and times spent there with family and friends, has been part of your life or appeals to you, my family and I invite you to enjoy It’s Not The Dirt. Read more