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I admit I could hardly believe my eyes that day, but I trust what my eyes see and I do believe what they show me. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Chirping birds, the rustle of leaves and the skitter of little things moving in the grass were all part of my childhood. My grandfather taught me how to listen to all the sounds the forest makes and how to see things that were different so I could walk in the forest safely.

He said there were predators there and he taught me to use a sharpened stick as a spear and how to use a knife. He also showed me how to use his sword. He said my father would have wanted it to be that way.

I often went walking in the woods, to hear the sounds and see what might be new.