Phil O’Brien came up to the wranch a couple weeks ago. I brought my old grill up from Houston. He brought the steaks. And his new rifle. We cruised around in the Gator and shot off a few rounds. Then we celebrated the day with grilled steaks and drinks by the fire pit. I looked around the place as the sun was setting. I couldn’t help but mention that change was coming. It probably didn’t hit him as deeply as it did me. And it hit me hard and deep.
I have been coming up to this piece of God’s country nearly every week that Paula and I spend in Houston. I live in my trailer and I clear brush or plant trees or dig water wells. I do battle with nature. I explore new trails. I created Ghostly Glen, where the spirits of ancient peoples still roam along a long forgotten path. I look for deer and find raccoons and armadillos. I curse the feral hogs which tear up the earth in search of grubs. I build a simple bridge across Katpaw Creek only to have the flash floods wash it away. I sit in my canvas chair at the end of the day, beer in hand, and watch the sunset. I am excited to arrive; I am saddened when I leave.
“Change is coming, Phil,” I said. Sure, he might have thought, you’re gonna build a house. For me it was more like a milestone in the life of your child. It’s a door that closes and does not open up again.
So I try to cherish each and every moment. Like I did with my kids when they were growing up. Share dinner with them every school night. Watch, and sometimes coach, their sporting activities, attend their plays and recitals. Spend holidays with them. You know, it is all those days and nights that we look back and wish maybe we could have one more day with them.
I want one more day with Paula, too. One more day to share our lives. I will never have enough days. I just want one more day.
And when the house is built, we will make it our home. Another home! Well home is where the heart is, so they say. But this home will have its own allure, a unique enchantment, a magical place for Paula and me to share with family and friends.
JP Ranch 
The title “Change is Coming” is a statement with a lot of meaning and can be taken to deeper levels as Jim was doing in this blog (IMO). We as humans are changing and there is absolutely nothing we can do to stop it. Just like a child going thru puberty and all the discomfort and angst it entails. Or the metaphor of the butterfly… there is no stopping it… it is a magical and profound time in our inevitable evolution. An exquisite transformation. Thanks Jim …. You make it look easy.
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