Smokey Mountains – Tennessee

There’s an old saying: the only constant in life is change. It’s not always comfortable, but it is inevitable.

In times like this, I like to look at Ecclesiastes 3:1,  or Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” made famous by The Byrds in 1965, and James 1:2–4. “Trials produce patience, endurance, and maturity. Sometimes a disruptive period changes not only your circumstances, but you.”

I have to be careful about what I say here for legal reasons, but I will say this: there was a period of time when I asked God for help, and boy, did He deliver. That doesn’t mean He did it the way I expected, but that’s okay. He’s always come through for me. Somehow, always in the nick of time.

Ahhh, time.

I’ve got a little more of it on my hands right now, and I’ve been doing my best to balance work while also trying to embrace this season. Sitting around has never really been in my DNA. My last name, Kowal, means “blacksmith” in Polish, and I’ve always felt the need to keep my hands busy. As they say, “Idle hands are the devil’s playground.”

As much as I want to fully embrace this period, it can be hard, especially when you’re used to a certain routine.

I’ve tried to use this time to be a little more retrospective and introspective. I’ve been thinking about what I can do to be a better dad, spouse, communicator, and person in general. It’s one thing to identify the areas where you can improve; it’s an entirely different thing to actually put the wheels in motion and do the work.

But I’m getting there. At least I’d like to think so.

More than anything, I want everyone to know that I’m doing well. I’m happy, I’m positive, and I will always use my hands to make and build things. That part of me isn’t going anywhere. It’s in my blood.

The kids go back to school this Wednesday, and I’m not-so-secretly excited. As nice as it is having them around, I do think summer break can get a little long-winded. On the other hand, I’ve heard enough teachers say they need the break for their own sanity, and honestly…that’s fair.

In the meantime, I’d love to share a few special moments from this past summer.

Big Creek and Midnight Hole, North Carolina

Although it was a little difficult to fully enjoy the trip because this season of change had already begun in my life, I had a wonderful time with Liesl’s family in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

My soon-to-be brother-in-law rented an absolutely stunning cabin in the Smokies. He’s a very organized guy and had so many great things planned for the three or so days we spent there.

As I’ve done many times in my life, when things feel a little upside down, I tend to gravitate toward two things: my camera and nature. This trip gave me the perfect opportunity to clear my head, get outside, and take some photos.

He had mentioned something about a hike and a waterfall, so naturally I made sure to bring my Nikon and prime lenses just in case I happened upon one of those rare “gallery-worthy” images, the kind you might only get a handful of when landscape photography isn’t something you do for a living.

I can’t remember exactly how long the hike was. I want to say it was about a mile and a half each way, but I couldn’t have been happier with what was waiting for us at the end.

While everyone else was testing fate by jumping off massive boulders into what felt like hypothermic water, I set up my tripod and started shooting, dragging the shutter just enough to give the waterfall that smooth, soft-water effect. I was in my happy place.

Speaking of which, I really need to get this one printed and hung somewhere in the house. I hope you enjoy it.

I’m not sure whether the amount of time we spend fishing says more about how much we love being outside, around nature and water, or whether it says something about how completely insane we are given the amount of patience it takes to stay out there for hours even when the bite is off.

Either way, I feel really lucky that my boys love to fish.

Gavin has become quite the angler and spends part of his summer biking to different fishing holes with his friends, just like I used to when I was younger. With all the technology and screens kids have access to these days, it feels like you don’t see as many of them fishing anymore, so I’m grateful that he’d rather trade the phone for a fishing pole every now and then.

I’m also really happy, and proud, to see Payton embracing fishing too. You should see this three-year-old’s casting skills. Sometimes I think baseball messes with his casting motion a little bit, but when he focuses, he can really launch it out there.

Pictured here is the first bass he ever caught completely on his own. He put the worm on the hook, cast it out, hooked the fish, and reeled it in himself. In this photo, he wasn’t quite ready to hold the fish yet, but he’s making progress there too. At this rate, it won’t be long before he’s completely self-sufficient.

And of course, I’m also blessed to have a woman who shares one of my favorite hobbies. Actually, she may be more into fishing than I am.

Apparently six hours on the water isn’t enough, and if I suggest heading home too early, she may have to reconsider the entire relationship.

Kidding.

Mostly.

Just as everything else in my life seemed to be changing, I started noticing changes in Pumpkin too. The first thing that really caught my attention was that he no longer wanted to eat his dry food, along with a few other things that just weren’t normal for him.

I took him to the vet, fully expecting something manageable. What I did not expect was for Dr. Grant to come out and say, “We have one sick kitty on our hands.”

Over the next three weeks, I went from knowing very little about feline bloodwork to feeling like I had practically become a hematologist. Non-regenerative anemia was the first indication that we were dealing with something serious, and from that point on, I went down every possible path trying to figure out what was causing it.

I talked to one neighbor about plants on her property, since certain plants can contribute to anemia. I spoke with another neighbor about pest-control products she had used. She did use them, but the testing we performed eventually ruled that possibility out.

I even went so far as to build a program with Claude AI to track Pumpkin’s bloodwork over time so I could see whether he was improving or declining and use the process of elimination to narrow down the possible causes.

Ultimately, we were left with two likely possibilities: some form of cancer or a blood-borne illness caused by a tick or flea. We started him on an antibiotic that would have treated the tick- or flea-borne possibilities, but unfortunately, his numbers continued to move in the wrong direction.

One thing I learned through all of this is just how powerful AI can be when used as a research tool. I was able to upload bloodwork, compare trends, explore possible diagnoses, and even review imaging. There were several times when something I found during my research led to a different conversation with the vet or brought attention to possibilities that hadn’t initially been considered.

What made all of this especially difficult was knowing how much effort I had always put into Pumpkin’s health. I researched his food, tried to give him the best diet I could, limited dry food, and made sure he always had access to fresh running water. I would even leave a faucet dripping for him because he loved drinking fresh water rather than anything stagnant.

In the end, my vet believed environmental exposure may have played a role, possibly lawn chemicals or herbicides. Pumpkin was an outdoor cat. I never let him stay out past sunset, but during the day, he spent a lot of time roaming, hunting, and doing exactly what cats like Pumpkin were born to do. I don’t use those chemicals myself, but of course, I can’t control everything he may have encountered beyond my property.

Despite everything we tried, his anemia continued to worsen until he began developing ataxia. The moment that really told me it was time was when he nearly stumbled down the stairs.

I knew then that things were changing quickly.

His blood was no longer carrying oxygen the way it needed to, and I knew it wouldn’t be long before his condition deteriorated rapidly. I didn’t want him to experience that. I wanted him to leave this world while he was still, in some sense, himself. Almost on top.

On the evening of July 9th, I called Dr. Grant, and she agreed to come to the house to help him transition.

While we waited for her, I took Pumpkin outside.

And of course, in true Pumpkin fashion, he caught a second wind.

He was a little clumsy, but he wandered over to one of the parts of the property where he loved to hunt. He sat there quietly, watching the brush, waiting for the slightest little rustle that might reveal his next target. He ate some grass. He watched. He hunted.

He was just being Pumpkin.

When Dr. Grant arrived, we gave him some extra time to simply exist in that moment and do what he loved most.

When it was time, I carried him over to his favorite little picnic table. I gave him some extra pets, scratched his head, and stayed right beside him while she helped him transition.

The first injection simply made him sleepy. It looked almost as though he were taking one last nap in the backyard, surrounded by his family, with me holding him.

There is something that gives me peace about knowing that his suffering ended before he ever had to understand what was happening. He didn’t experience the frightening decline that was coming. He simply became tired, relaxed, and went to sleep in a place he loved.

It was a peaceful ending to a beautiful life.

And when I think about where his story began, found wandering the streets of St. Louis, I can’t help but think about how far his life came from there.

What a lucky boy.

And what a beautiful one.

“There is a unique magic in an orange cat; they are quiet muses draped in sunlight, bringing an enduring peace and boundless creativity to the souls they choose to rescue.”

Aside from fishing, camping, bowling, being outside, going to ball games, and spending time with friends and family, I’ve also had a chance to put some energy into my real estate business, Autumn Gold Properties (click here).

At its core, the business focuses on vacant land, purchasing it, improving its value through things like entitlements or subdivision, and ultimately reselling it.

I’ve always wanted to get involved in real estate, and while I still plan to invest in some multifamily properties (I’ve already gone to look at a handful), I have to admit that after doing a LOT of reading and research, I’ve become a little infatuated with land.

I suppose that makes sense, considering how much I enjoy being outside in the first place.

So, if you’re looking for land somewhere, or you happen to have a piece of property you’ve been thinking about selling, look me up!

Thanks for reading! ~ Leo