In preparation for that winter, one summer day a good neighbor, David Wilde, pulled down the driveway in a big dumptruck with a load of firewood. We all ran from different corners of the yard and various activities to watch the big truck.Five year-old Landon and 2 year-old McKay stood with mouths wide open and eyes as big as saucers as the old truck began to groan and tip its noisey load. I watched with total gratitude and turned back to my work. Within minutes the work that would have taken us hours was in a neat pile in the driveway and the truck pulled out of the driveway. The kids knew we would be moving it to the stack around the house soon, but for now I let them play. I don't know how long it was before I called them all back together. Hannah, Kate, Josie, Landon, McK..., I looked at them again Hannah, Kate, Josie, Landon, Mc...;I looked around the yard. "Where is McKay?" I asked. No one knew. "What do you mean, you haven't seen him?" It was the worried accusation of a mother who shouldn't have left the general care of a two year-old up to other children who were busy with their own games. We all ran around the yard. We searched the creek, up and down stream. We yelled, calling his name over and over again. I considered the highway and the passing cars. Had I heard any cars stop?  I felt sick. I stopped by the side of that big stack of wood. That was the last time I remembered seeing him, when the truck had pulled in.  "No, it wasn't possible..." I was about to frantically start tossing every piece of wood in the pile when I got a grip on myself and made myself calm down and think. He was a little boy. He was never very interested in the creek unless Landon was with him and he never went up by the road. It was late afternoon. He was probably tired. Our search turned to other directions and that's when we found him. There was a stack of old furniture by the shed that we still hadn't moved into the house. Most of it needed to be repaired in some way and McKay had snuggled into a nest of clothing inside a dresser drawer and fallen asleep. His peaceful face showed nothing of my own anxiety. He was naturally asleep. I was naturally overcome with worry and angry with myself. We were all naturally relieved. Mink Creek has shown me the nature of so many things.