The old rutted dirt road was dusty, even without traffic but for the old man. Dust flew with each trudging step, the ruts so dry they became like barriers to his progress, several times he almost fell from tripping over them. There were many tree limbs reaching for the other side along this old dusty road. Forming a canopy, giving the old man some shade from the hot life sucking sun above. Even so, he had to stop and wipe his brow with an old dirty rag he carried. The worn, tattered ball cap offered little shade with that mesh of a top, only a bit of shade for the dimming eyes of the traveler. He stopped, took the cap off, mopped his brow again and squinting his eyes he searched his surroundings. Searching along the fence row ahead and behind, trees that stood near the road, always just on his right side. Satisfied, he would shuffle along for maybe a hundred yards before stopping again, repeating this same ritual.

Further down, something by the road side caught his eye. Walking to the edge of the road he peered closer at an object lying next to an old stump. No, it was the remains of what could have been a large corner post of a fence that no longer existed. He looked closer and not being able to see well with his old eyes, he got on hands and knees so he could examine the spot closer. With one hand bracing his body, he used the other to scratch a bit at the base of the corner post. Satisfied, he rose to his feet and walked further down the road. His steps this time were as if he were counting off measurements of his stride. Three feet per stride was a common method to gain satisfaction to most measured off places, land in particular.

Down the road in this manner he went. Even so it was still hot and he had to stop for mopping his brow, and getting his breath. Not once did he look back to where he had come, all his attention seemed to be focused forward, to where he was going. In this manner he covered about a hundred yards, just three hundred feet from the corner post, if that is what it was. Still the old man searched the right side of the road, something he needed to find, it seemed, but why here, why on this road?