This painting almost reveals a lone pheasant hiding in the tall grass. The typical farmstead displays a staunch old barn, with chicken coops behind it. Paul often hid little surprises in his artwork. Being an avid outdoorsman, he knew just where those surprises would hide. The weekly road trips we took through what was left of those magnificent old buildings dwindled in the last few months of his life. Many had been abandoned or in disrepair. Some had been sold as a last resort for those who no longer wanted to continue the family business. It’s sad to see little boxes of new homes taking their place.

Life goes on. We use up the good things and replace them with things that have no real character in them. That even happens to those of us in the later years of living. The facade has changed drastically. The body can no longer manage by itself. Do we ignore the elderly? Do we tear them down like the broken buidings that have lost their worth? Do we honor them as God has commanded or rely on someone else to watch over them until they take their final breath?

ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Morning sheds its whimsical glow upon an old country road,

Sunlight flits in and out of the foliage,

Creating patterns on the cobblestoned path,

Wind gently caresses the trees,

Kissing each leaf as it whispers through,

Dreams are made along such paths,

Lives are changed,

Senses enlivened,

If only we allow them to happen,

Along a country road.