Going Home A flight plan was filed in advance but with one last request for permission to first fly to Lee County Virginia for one last goodbye.. request granted. It lifts off and high above the Blue Ridge Mountains it tips its wings goodbye and a gentle wind carries it over green fields and a mountain called Smokey in Tennessee. After a time Historical Harrogate Tennessee comes in view which reminds one of ‘The Land Of Lincoln.’ Then soaring above the Cumberland Mountains the wings of an eagle glisten in the sun when it joins the flight. Fog hangs over the White Rocks at Ewing. With the eagle leading, the flight circles under and around the fog bank three times for a better view of the white rocks before taking a direct route over the rolling ridges toward the town known as the Gap by old-timers. The terrain below is now more rugged, towering cliffs, hanging rocks, waterfalls and sheer drop offs as the ridge leads to the left the Stone Face Rock stands watch above the winding road alongside the North Fork Of The Powell River. The eagle leads as they circle Stone Face rock for one last look. Then they circle the little community known as Stone Creek nearby. From there the eagle flies slowly over a crooked road alongside a winding creek that leads to the Kentucky state line. One mile short of the state line the flight circles a home place that sits by the creek with towering ridges on either side. The home has been remodeled and improved and is far from what it once was but one can vision it as it used to be. Forest has taken the land in back of the house where he was born in another house. We refer to it as The Old House. But one can vision it as well. I was born in that old house in 1926—he came along in 1934 and by that time more window panes were broken and gaping holes in the floor let in the cold winds of winter. He, like me cherished that old house—why?—I don’t have the answer. After hovering over the tree tops for several minutes he whispered goodbye and they climbed higher above the ridge to the left where the old Kirk cemetery is hidden in a ridge-top cove surrounded by forest. The eagle slowly drops to tree top level over the cemetery and circles for several minutes. After reading names on the stones and recalling old times when he was a young boy and somewhat leery of this old cemetery, he smiles and signals the eagle to move on. The eagle crosses another ridge and disturbs a flock of crows from a tree below. ‘Just like old times’ he muses. The community of Pine Grove appears—there’s the church and on the hill is where the two room school set above a dirt road. Memories of his school days stir his senses and a tear almost starts but he suppress it, but only for a minute as his mind goes back to the old house his cheeks become damp. He forced a smile and motioned for the eagle to move on. In minutes they glide high above the town known as the Gap again. The eagle circles twice then tips its wings and heads toward Dryden. Flying in a wide pattern affords a panorama view of Dryden and the surrounding territory including the Powell River as snakes its way through rich farm land and then high cliffs and gorges. Below, atop a rise he recognizes a neat little cemetery where grandparents from mom’s side rest. Three of their children are buried just paces away. As they hover low above the cemetery he squints to read Thomas Hobbs and Alice ‘Daughter’ Hobbs on a stone. He suppresses a tear again and motions toward the Powell River. The eagle drops down almost skimming the water as they follow the flow through gorges with cliffs reaching dizzying heights above them. Then an old familiar house sits on a bank above the river. An aunt and uncle lived there until they died. Their daughter, his cousin still lives there, two other cousins, her brother’s live above the old winding Woodway road nearby. The eagle circles low over the house for a few minutes before moving up the river a ways to a swinging bridge. He instructs the eagle to fly over the bridge several times. He smiles, and as he thinks back he knows that the bridge has always fascinated him. Finally they rise from a gorge to see a larger cemetery, there they hover over another grave—Coner and Joan ‘Hobbs’ Kirk, his mom and dad. After several minutes there they move a few steps away and hover over another familiar grave—Alexander Vincent and Virginia ‘Harber’ Kirk—grandparents from dads side of the family. The eagle notices tears are about to start again so he moves over other stones of relatives—uncles, aunts, cousins and friends, many rest here. Finally he looks east to Elk Knob and tries to picture the mountain farmland as it once was before the forest gobbled it up. He signals the eagle to move on as tears are about to come again. But this time he makes it known that he will lead the flight. He circles the cemetery three times as the eagle follows. Then he points upward and waves goodbye to the eagle. The eagle follows as he slowly gains altitude, but high above Elk knob and Buzzards Roost he picked up speed making it hard for the eagle to follow. Finally the eagle was left far behind and his body out of control because of the great height and lack of oxygen. Like a ball of feathers the eagle plummeted toward the ground, but just before tree top level he revived and righted his self, flapped his wings a few times then sailed effortlessly over the ridges to his domain in Cumberland Gap. His soul left his old worn out body in Blairsville in the Blue Ridge Mountains where it will eventually deteriorate back to the soil but his soul lives on as it travels through space beyond Blairsville Georgia, his place of birth Lee County Virginia and other places that bear his foot prints. He is beyond the clouds, the stars, moon and long past the heat of the sun. Souls are invisible to fellow humans and even eagles. The eagle reacted to a spirit in the air and through natural instincts was compelled to fly escort. But no escort is needed. Invisible and guided by the unseen hands of our God his journey home will be pleasant. So long Brother, we’ll meet again someday.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:10:10 +0000
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