Absurd: In the 10 months we've been walking weekly at this 'city park' spot...neither one of us has noticed this most absurd gate with no fence. Today, it practically jumped out and smacked me. A gate - completely open on either side for the whole stretch of the wash. I can't really see well enough to know if there are locks (you all know how I love the nonsensical locks at the wide open trail heads)...and true that that side of the wash is primarily for workers, not public use...but, really??!! It just looks so darn silly to me. Anyway, so strange...I thought I was a noticing gal! You can see where there had been holes for the posts for the fencing, cemented over now. But, how long ago was that.
Meaningful: I am 99% sure that I will be adding the flannel backing, so I wanted to document the long stretch of the Metta Meditation cloth that will be covered up when I do so. It is 48.5 inches long. I love seeing the 'backs' of stitched work and I love tracing my finger over the letters, words on the 'front'.
May you live with ease...
What have you missed seeing in your lifetime? How did you feel when you realized this?
'City Park'...the plant life has returned in abundance! In the photo below, the cattails were loudly swaying in the breeze, like the grasses on the North Dakota Prairie. Their stalks were already so thick.
The shrubs seem to have grown so much since our last visit. Especially since they had heavy-pruned them. Now look...hanging over the path.
The swallows were flying high...back and forth, again and again...I managed to catch several in the shot below.
We paused to notice how most of the nests basically face the same direction...and wondered about that.
And this time, there were trees with a lot of orange...blooms? fungus? pollen?
On our way out, I noticed some flowers, that were perfect for photo-play! We noticed that the flowers were both striped and plain (3rd pic down) within the same plant. Cool. The dark stripes around the center reminded me of "pincher bugs", as we called them as kids.
Sitting on one of the benches, I snapped a pic of this grand old oak too.
I completed the last stocking today and will be mailing it off soon. The stocking body has little grids of gold glitter. Fun! It is a tad hard to see the white polar bear, but I think it's okay and shows better in person.
I still have the 3 without names to gift or sell and the very last possible (if my other long-time family has one last grandchild). I think that while I have out the Christmas materials, I think I will make the three patches for that last possible stocking. I can assemble much of it and put it aside. If they decide that they are all done having children, I can finish it without a name, like I did those others. At least then I can kinda clean up this project for a while! This is that family's bunch of stocks, years ago. There is already 3 more not shown here! Wow.
When you've completed something long planned for, how do you feel?
I come here and post posts about daily life. It is distraction and an attempt at staying sane. It is one way to express myself. It seems to be my way these days. However, don't think for a minute I am clueless and unconcerned. Far from it. This is my space to escape to. I welcome others who need to escape too.
As I began writing, the skies opened up and it poured LOUDLY, making music on the metal roof of the car ports next door. Pouring with a partially blue sky! Then, as quickly as it began, it completely stopped. And then started. And stopped. This went on for a few minutes, like a toddler who has discovered the joys of operating a light switch. Now, it is a steady, hard rain.
I wish rain like this for the folks of South Carolina, who are experiencing their own round of wildfires.
And I know the tears will flow like rains from the sky as the family of Andrew, of Desert Drifter, have made the impossible decision to turn off life support tomorrow. Him, his videos and now his car accident and the resulting crisis has affected me deeply. I will light a candle for him tomorrow.
Now, today's humor...for survival
"When does a Dad joke become a Dad joke? When it becomes apparent!" Boom, de boom rim shot! - Kendall and her Dad, fromThe Brodie Bunch
While writing a WORDLE story the other night, I was reminded of this great bit of comedy from long ago. Still funny.
Johnny Carson - May 14, 1992 - segment 2 - The Copper Clapper Caper
We did make it over to the bridge today, before the rain thankfully. It was amazingly beautiful. The sky bursting with clouds, while at the same time quieting with the cover of gray, coming rain clouds. It was gorgeous. There was a wind that made it feel colder than 59°. I was thankful to have remembered my knit hat!
We weren't sure how far we'd get...but we made it to the fence change and up the hill too.
Come along and enjoy with us.
The river seemed lower, even since the last visit. The first pic actually has an egret in it, which I did not notice until I got home and uploaded the photos. The bottom pic shows how the water has receded.
We met a young man there who was taking 'wildlife' photos. I saw him standing with his professional looking camera (really long lens on it!), but could not see what he saw until I paused. Way off in front of him, on the bottom power line was a bird of prey. I assumed it was a red tail hawk, because that is what I normally see there. In a break in him shooting photos, I called out to him, asking if we could see his photo. He shared it and a few others with us. It turns out the bird was some kind of Kestrel, possibly an American Kestrel. He told us about an owl that lives nearby, the nest in a green metal box (you can see it in his link above). I'll have to keep an eye out for that one. He also told us that he has seen a "Waxwing" and a "Merlin" - two I've not seen (well, not that I know of). You can't even see the bird in my photo! haha
On the hill part of the walk, I found a feather, which I did bring home. The wind was making all of the power lines and their towers hum like a jet airliner! It was so loud, something I've never heard before. The clouds, sky, power lines all held my attention for the whole walk.
Trying to get a photo of the feather was pretty funny. The wind was not my friend! I've seen and photographed a hawk in the tree below, which is the one I found the feather under. Pretty cool.
It's not easy to tell, but the wind in the Eucalyptus tree (below) was fierce, as was the sun through the trees and wires.
We also saw a King Snake while heading back over the bridge. The young man was walking with us and he too took photos (probably much better than mine! haha). I've decide the pic isn't worthy of posting here and bothering folks who don't care for snakes too much. But, the yellow & black stripes were pretty. It was long and quite thin, so maybe a young one?
Before letting the wind blow me away or push me into the car, I had to snap more wires, clouds & light photos. It's funny how much the scene changes when I zoom in, cropping out the brightness of the building. So cool.
This evening, as I began this post...and the rain had just started to fall...and I had noticed a bolt of brightness from the day's end sun...I thought I'd step out and see if I could get a better photo of the 'white' weaving. I stepped out into the cold air and planned to take the photo over the edge of the patio. I moved forward to see the brilliant sunlight illuminating the Hawk's Tree...wow!!! That's when I saw the double rainbow!!! You probably could have heard me from wherever you are as I was calling for J. to come see!
In times like these...seeing a bit of magic means even more. Maybe this is the "now what?"
It is more than enough.
What do you do for sanity's sake? How do yo grab and hang onto glorious?
How do you arm yourself - not literally, of course - during challenging times? I think many are asking themselves this kind of question these days. Do you turn (tune) in or out? Do you look to Nature, Strong Relationships or Action Steps? Do you have a preference for one coping skill or another...or do you go with the flow using whatever skill you have in the moment?
I obviously look to Nature, Humor and Song. If you've been here more than once, you can guess that. I go for conversations with loved ones and support them and myself when I can.
He had to TREAD carefully while he gathered up the necessary PROOF. The items he worked with were very sharp and he did not want to PRICK his finger, causing blood to drip on the PRISM. 12 hours later he accomplished his goal. Before heading upstairs to inform his boss, he paused for a quick PRIMP in his locker mirror.
11/14/24
MINTY is the name of our favorite eagle at the wildlife center. She is actually really popular with everyone and DRAWS huge crowds on weekends and school holidays. You can hear visitors LAUGH and cheer as Minty swoops down from her perch. Even the French DOULA who was there with her very pregnant client loved it. In fact she was laughing so much, an ALULA feather, which had loosened in the repeated acts of soaring and swooping, fluttered down right into her open mouth, thus tickling her UVULA. Who would ever expect that?
NOTE: This puzzle was our toughest one yet. He went to bed and I gave in to one of those web pages that offer hints. I had said to him that it would be a word I don't know. I was right! For both ALULA and UVULA I had put in these combinations of letters and hit enter, hoping for a word. I got words, but I had to look them up, which was very interesting.
There was an especially big CROWD there to watch the OCTET of performing seals. Their vision was frequently interrupted as the aquarium employee walked by the front of the tank and pulled all of the TACKS and small posters off the wooden posts. He couldn't wait til the show was over she asked. Yeah, how TACKY he agreed.
11/16/24
They were trying to make thick CREAM from scratch. They dug the utensils out from the RUINS of the back pantry. The very first thing to happen was a large SPIRT of milk landed on the floor. If that FIRST mistake is any sign, I'm going to need to continue while wearing a VISOR, she exclaimed.
11/17/24
Every member of the four TEAMS sat in the bleachers, waiting. They were on the edge of their seats waiting for the newest TALLY. This one would tell them which two teams were going to the playoffs. You could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
11/18/24
Their mother sat quietly on her CHAIR as the TRAIN slowly moved out of the station. She wanted to go on this adventure across the country, as it would likely be her last trip with her beloved children. What a trip it would be too! They would be criss-crossing the country with stops in almost every state. After all of their years of travel together, this felt like the holy GRAIL of family togetherness. Her children were having their own thoughts though. They were wishing they could have gone on this trip years ago when their mother wasn't quite so FRAIL.
11/19/24
It is not worth the PRICE, he said. But, I really want the SKINK for my new pet, the little girl whined. I can't just FLING money at every new pet whim you have, he added. Now come on, let's get GOING, he said finally before she could say any more.
She paid the PRICE and felt like a SKINK for having the FLING with the preacher. The last time I saw her she was GOING south.
11/20/24
The ETHIC committee is made up of all the brightest progressives. When the CHIME sounds, they get down to work in a very productive and collaborative way. As a team, they've really found their NICHE.
11/21/24
Will I ever know PEACE again? she whined. The doctor's blank expression told her all she needed to know. Not if you don't have the SPINE surgery I recommended three years ago, he replied blandly.
11/22/24
You look GREAT, she told him and I'm almost READY. Will you please grab the basket of PEARS while I put on my PEARL necklace, then I'm set to go.
11/23/24
She asked the traveling chef for a QUOTE on 50 MEALS for the upcoming event. She was somewhat shocked at the high price. What if we leave off the JELLY? she asked.
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This helpful post from Brene Brown about Stress and Overwhelm came in her email newsletter. I found it helpful.
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May you not forget you have more power than you realize
May you not forget others who need you
May you remember how love and humor and song heals
I felt the time change this time around. It's dark early. Right. It always takes some days to get used to that. This year, since we've discontinued our cable, the long evening hours feel a bit longer.
I love her tickled pink laughter! I think most of us are just trying to hang in there and get through the election. With so many things in the balance, it's nerve wracking, for sure...for those in the USA, and around the world too.
I keep looking for the good, the happy, the positive. Today being a day home, I thought about my daily sky picture. What would I do? Then I thought of the vast blank blue sky if I stick my head over the patio railing.
Then I thought about perspectives...looking up, looking down - being up/down, living above or below (as in the poverty line or any other detrimental dividing line)...But, perspectives are not always black and white - good or evil (or are they? 😉). So, I photographed an open cube if you will. One end missing, because who needs to see my belly and the railing? lol
I reached my arm straight out into the corridor and took 5 photos...up, down, left (East), right (West) and straight ahead (South). I did not crop the photos.
I rather like the "up" photo, kinda artsy with a slice of the building in it. I could see it as one of Judy Martin's quilts (maybe because I reviewed her month of October posts before going outside?!)
Things are happening in so many arenas, whichever direction we look. Let's hope the results lighten our load and send us soaring.
