2. Aquilla, TX

 

September 17, 2023

I spent the weekend in Aquilla, TX, a small town outside of Waco. The town itself is covered in flat fields, with the majority of the landscape being occupied by small family ranches. Trees aren't sparse, but they cluster together providing the small islands of much needed shade amongst the fields. Shrubbery is almost non-existent. Instead, the fields are overgrown with tall grass that reached to the knees and clusters of large trees that touch the blue skies. Mosquitos thrive here, nipping at one's limb constantly, knowing no reprieve. I left with countless itchy mosquito bites covering my extremities. Roaches scour the grounds. Frogs, the size of a quarter, crowd around small pools of water made by the morning dew. Silence is never present, as the flies hum and the cicadas buzz filling the expanse with their song. The heat pardoned me for the weekend, the oppressive triple digits cooling to the low nineties. The heat was pleasant, cool in the mornings producing a slight chill and warming to a comfortable heat that produced sweat only during physical exertion. Aquilla, Texas gifted us with a cooling rain Saturday afternoon. The drops poured down from the grey cloud covered skies and soaked the grounds. Pools of water created by the storm became the meeting place for insects and frogs alike. Dirt was replaced by mud puddles that slicked the fields. I was refreshed as I stood in the pouring rain, letting my hair and clothing be soaked by the sky's raindrops, listening with eyes closed to the sounds of rain hitting the ground and the metal roof of my shelter. It was a calming noise like no other, methodical and consistent in its rhythm, and soothing to the soul. 

The most striking moments of nature came during the evenings. The sunsets were breathtaking--the skies composed of various shades of oranges, reds, pinks, and warm yellows, everything illuminated with a golden glow. The skies looked like a painter had taken his brush and smeared the skies with streaks of bold color. I had to stop and capture photos, hoping the moments would last longer. When the last semblance of light disappeared from the horizon, the fields became dark. But not simply a darkness through which one could still see, everything was shrouded in absolute darkness; black in the truest sense of the word. Amidst the darkness, millions of stars lit up the night sky, like pieces of glitter glimmering amongst the darkest background. I have yet to see more stars in my life. No photo could do it justice. I sat their gazing out on the infinite skies and reflected on Psalm 19:1-6 that says:

"The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard.  Their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom leaving His chamber, and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them, and there is nothing hidden from its heat."