Of shards and sheep

Most weren’t reclaimed to present standards or statutes, but typically the disturbed areas were reseeded with field grass, sprinkled with bits of purple crown vetch and scrubby black locust trees. In areas where the mining ratio became too high to be economic, they would often leave a final highwall and water impoundment.
This water was almost always an unnatural green–something you’d imagine that was reckoned by copper.


In dry weather, the access roads were reasonably passable, so even cars could make their way back. We would load one of our trucks with supplies and spend long weekend nights in these places around a fire.

And they were good places to become.

* * *
At the strip pit, I remembered you while watching another two at the fire. At that very moment, I wanted to press us into them – to be them, and it was something that has long outlasted the beer, the laughter and the warm rumble of friends.

Not a great photograph, but this tree is filled with Turkey Vultures. They are great birds who soar gracefully and clean up many messes. I tried to tell them "I'm not dead yet" but I'm not sure they were actually convinced.