Stone Pile or Stone Wall?

 In our neighborhood, on this incredibly gorgeous warm  November day, many men are out looking for  deer to shoot. For them that is the reason for the season. Ed spent the day outside  too.  Even though he is working down by the road, he wears a fluorescent orange "I am not a deer hat".  Ed is working on his latest stone wall.  As he works the stone pile is getting smaller and the stone wall larger.  It's interesting that at this point they are both about the same size.  The wall grows faster than the pile diminishes since every trip down the hill brings more stone.

Standing by itself the stone pile looked  good, but now that the finished wall is in the picture it's rough appearance is obvious. When Ed is in wall building mode the stones fall into place like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. He has a real talent for it and if he is in the groove it takes considerable effort to drag him away even for lunch.  As long as the stones cooperate he will work there, but sometimes as he tires the muse leaves him and nothing seems to fit together. When that happens he goes and looks for more wall stones to add to the pile.  It's nearly 5:00 and darkness is falling.  He is still out there.  He will come in soon tired and smelly but happy.  He spent this unbelievably beautiful November day doing something he truly loves.