There's a pull off down our road that leads to the two trees in the photos and the little bench that's been there for at least 24 years. Sometimes the road grader pulls over and takes a lunch stop there.

I've seen cigarette butts and alcohol bottles, even a sleeping pad under the trees. So it could be a trysting spot and an underage drinking spot.

One day I was walking with the girls and we heard music playing and saw a young man with his shirt off sunning there on the hood of his car. Later we saw that he must have locked himself out of his car, there was broken glass like he had to get inside with a rock. There were also the remains of a small fire, a small stuffed animal that had not been completely burned and a big, almost empty, glass bottle of hard liquor.

My imagination figured he must have been upset by a breakup, he went to the spot to get drunk and then in a purging burst of energy, burnt the small stuffed animal that was a gift from his former love.

We usually clean up the foreign detritus and our girls use the bench for their own ice cream stand from which they serve me imaginary cones and sundaes, whatever I order.

When I'm alone, I just use the bench to sit and think. I wonder how long it's been there. There's a wooden sign that was nailed on one tree that is way above human reach now, but the bench still remains at sitting height.