Back Home, Right Here and Now

After spending two days short of two weeks away from home, husband and dog, I find myself in a bit of a dither landing square into my former life.  The seasonal changes are obvious, I can see grand swatches of yellow in the Cottonwood tree, there is a cool breeze, and I do NOT hear the busy conversation of the Orioles.  I had a feeling that they would've headed south by the time I'd returned from Whidbey Island, and it appears that they have.  

After many adventures and a new book title, I was faced this morning with a disconcertingly white page.  Blank.  Blank like my mind.  

Imagine the airport authorities pulling a large (HUGE! was their description) butcher knife out of your good friend and traveling companion's computer bag.  Yes.  That really did happen, which makes it non-fiction.

Imagine discussing and grumbling over whether something is fictional or not.  Imagine listening to readings every night except for two, where we were so tired that we had to take long walks in the cool night air.  Imagine being filled up every single day with all-things literary!  Seriously, it was heaven!

Imagine having your beloved camera go bonkers.  Big bummer.  So Mt. Baker, and Mt. Rainier, and The Olympic Peninsula, the fog, and the deer, and the smooth white stones are all still back there, waiting to have their portraits taken by me. 

So.  I guess I am imagining that now I need (NEED) a new computer, a new camera, and a nice little cottage on an island in the Puget Sound.

Luna is keeping a close eye on me, even napping.  Mayhap we will be going swimming soon.

Good to be back, seriously.

xoxoxoLC

What Is The Root?

What 

Is the

Root of all these

words?

One thing: Love.

But a love so deep and sweet

It needed to express itself

With scents, sounds, colors

That never before

Existed.

***

Hafiz

***

One thing: Love.  At the root of every thing.  Perhaps, because we sometimes struggle with words, Love best describes that which moooooooooooves us; wakes us up in the morning, picks tomatoes, sweeps the floor, makes the coffee, writes the poem.
...a love so deep and sweet...it knows no other thing than to express itself.  So, the Eel River, no matter how shallow, how "managed," how empty of eels or salmon or... look closely!  You will see the Caddisfly larvae near the frog... the long tube-shaped thing (I see 3 of them in the photo).  Though the river looks like it is hurting, what is there is living!  This reassures me. The river flows, lives.
The tiny lizard is all the colors of the rock.  The rock is large and sun warmed.  A nice place to grow up, with bugs buzzing around for food, the river whispering, Grosbeaks singing fragrant songs.  I have always wondered where the parents go, leaving such itty-bitty lizards behind.

I am feeling sensitive.  Today I went to town to the courthouse to support a family who is so dear to ours.  Their lives are disrupted, they are sad, traumatized.  

The rest of my day has been restless.  I am remembering sweaty piles of boys, wrestling themselves senseless.  I am remembering feeding them, repeatedly.  I am remembering how the girls, a few years older, were tolerant and even not-so-secretly loved the swarmy, slimey boys. I am remembering how sweet it was to witness the deep and abiding love that tied these boys all together with their "chosen" friends.

Today at the courthouse the drama plays out in a weird reverse.  "It" all happened almost 2 years ago; now there is testimony, wringing the story out of notes, files, police reports and broken hearts, telling the story through leading questions.  There is alcohol, drugs, and choices gone horribly wrong.  There are parents and family and friends, hoping against all odds... for what?

For the opportunity to say, one more time, "I love you, David."  I love you, and now it is time for you to stand up in your life and love you.  

For a sign of hope.  

...a love so deep and sweet

It needed to express itself

With scents, sounds, colors

That never before

Existed.

The back of Lola's head, in that glorious late sunshine!THIS is putting the sun-spot to good use...

Skyler is a master-griller.  Seriously, it turned out deeeelicious.
Here is Mom/Nonnie's coleslaw.  In the late-afternoon-at-the-river sunspot.
Rebekah's new manicure, ready to get down and dirty with the BBQ chicken!

Pot Luck

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm, goooooood!