This Evening.....

Tonight the wind roared in down the valley. My house shook. My children woke up startled then scared. My wife made us all some hot sweet tea. It felt good.
I ventured out to check on my animals. The noise of the wind was overpowering. Two calves had died but I could not understand why. Over on the hill to the left of our farm, I saw the lights of Yursak's house flicker and then go out. Yursak always lost power on nights like these.
I moved back inside and placed more wood on the fire. The children and my wife, Janish, had already returned to bed. I sat down down close to the hearth watching the bright yellow flames dancing between the unlit wood.
Eventually, it all burned and came to rest in a mound of glowing red embers. By that time, though, I had fallen off to sleep.