OLD SITE, NEW VIEWIt took some persistent coaxing to convince my wifeto drive out with me on a late August dayto visit my old archaeological site.Once there, I parked across the road in the familiar spot by the cattle gate, leavingRuth and the dog in the car silently watching meas I crossed the road and crawled through the fence.I prowled up and down the now largely overgrowndepression in the pasture where I had gleanedso many ancient artifacts: scrapers, arrowheads!Just as Ruth had surmised, there wasn't anythingto be found, other than willow and weeds…silently fuming over the lack of exposed sandin what had once been a large blow-out I kept looking, hoping for something, anything…then, when I glumly turned around to look backat the car, found, to my delight, Ruth standingout on the road, slim still figure as memorableas a photo in our album, self-contained,framed by copious roadside stands of gleamingauburn grasses, luscious big bluestem, blue asters,red rose-hips bright as lit candles, my dear wifeembraced by the familiar warm colors of autumn. October 2004 By: Robert William Nero