I am currently in the process of moving from Jackson to a smaller town to the west that is part of my district. I did not decided to move as a result of my experiences in Jackson; I really liked living with my old roommates and being in the middle of the capital city. Rather, I wanted to move because of where I’d be going.

The attractiveness of the house in which I currently reside is what originally peaked my interest; it is beautiful, it is old, and it smells like a large fireplace since there is one in each main room. There are two dogs out here, both black labs. Jack is fat and lazy and he drools on everyone he meets. Truman is athletic and excitable. When you leave the house to go for a walk, Truman will leap over the front fence and follow you, bounding into the woods only to return minutes later. It’s great to drive up to the house and have both of the boys waiting on the front porch, wagging their tales. My parents’ dog did the same, but it was always related to food; these two dogs only want attention and a rub on the head.

The house is framed by old oaks that are covered in Spanish moss. Their branches seem to open up when you travel up the dirt driveway, revealing the front porch where Jack and Truman spend their days. The interior of the house is covered in art from everywhere, no theme unites the décor of any of the rooms. Nearly all the furniture is made of wood, and the plank flooring is only rarely covered by rugs.

The lack of light pollution at night allows for a starry sky to shine between the branches of the trees and a darkness to block the rest of the house. I’ve heard that some visitors find the house creepy at night and suggest the presence of ghosts, but I’ve yet to be visited by any spirits.

Yet, the best part of living out here is the people. I live with the guy who owns the house. He is a number of years my elder, nearly my father’s age, but is certainly one of the coolest baby-boomers I’ve ever met. His view on life is similar to the friend that introduced us in the sense that both men look at the world in a way I have never experienced or considered. The greatest reason for moving was to increase my access to these two guys, both of whom make me want to change around my life.

Whenever people come over the house, we just sit with beers in hand, the radio softly playing country or bluegrass in the background. Sometimes we go for walks with the dogs, but mostly we just sit and talk. Maybe it is because the two guys I always hang out with out here are so interesting, or maybe it is because the house brings something out in you, but we never turn on the tv, we never play games, we never have to come up with any form of entertainment other than talking. And it is perfect and wonderful, the perfect escape from teaching and all the rest. As I said in the last post, a cold beer and a good book can solve most problems. A beautiful house and interesting company can probably do the same.