By Sharon Mellors

I wrote this from my diary pages several years ago. It seems appropriate for this month. Use it if you wish. This place has cleansed my soul. I feel calm about me now. That must be what the animals feel. Or, maybe that is what I hope they feel. That is part of the joy of this island.

Sept. 12, 2001: I spent the whole day yesterday in my night gown all alone with my eyes glued to the TV in disbelief, worried about the fate of our friends. Will my husband be called back into the military? Wasn’t 21 years enough? What about my son or future son-in-law? I can’t think about that. I must keep my hands and mind busy. I’ll teach myself to quilt.

We went to Coupeville last night because my husband had a meeting. I went to the grocery store for pop, eggs, ice cream and chocolate. We needed comfort food. There were very few people on the road or in the store. I saw something I thought I would never see: A Humvee filled with soldiers and guns was cruising the streets of Coupeville. On my island!  They just seemed to cruise through one time and then they were gone. My husband said they were there to show they were on the job. It was supposed to be comforting. But, believe me, it wasn’t.

Sept. 22: Last night all the TV stations ran a two-hour telethon put on by Hollywood stars and musicians from all categories. The money was raised for victims of the World Trade Center, Pentagon and Flight 93. It was a wonderful and moving show. The music was awesome. We turned on our surround sound and pumped up the volume. Soon I noticed a deer come into the yard to eat the apples I had been leaving for her. When she finished she came within 10 feet of our TV and lay down to listen. She stayed there for the entire show. When it ended she got up and wandered off into the woods. I have never seen anything like it.

Later that evening, we had our flag out front with the floodlight keeping it illuminated. The whole hillside was lit and out of the darkness came my first coyote. He came up to just below the deck and finished up bits of fruit the deer had left. How wonderful to see that life goes on and to know that we are being watched over.

Sept. 24: I saw my first woodpecker. He was huge and looked just like the old cartoon character Woody Woodpecker. He was within just feet of the deck. We sat and watched each other for over an hour.

Last night, I was watching the sunset when a big shadow swooshed over the house and landed in the tall tree at the bottom of the yard. A moment later another shadow flew into the same tree from the woods. It was getting dark so I could only see outlines but one was a large horned owl and the other was just as huge but with a rounded head. The two huge owls stood watch over the house long after it was too dark to make out their images.

Oct. 7: Osama Bin Laden was just on TV saying that “America will never again know peace.”

As I looked out into the woods, all was calm and peaceful but the trees seemed to be crying golden leaves.

After that my diary went silent.

Sharyn Mellors lives in Coupeville.