Leap Day

View of the Coast Range in early morning, taken from Highway 101 north of Gardiner, OR. Just one of the lovely views on my drive home from work.

.

rc

Crossing the Island- dream journal

It was time to renew my library card. There was a whole group of us, including Baptist Nun. Matt Damon reviewed our applications and marked the errors in red. I recopied the application and waited in line, but the desk clerk told me it was too late, I would have to come back the next day.

A group of us were walking along a shore trail, with a specific destination in mind. It seemed like a college campus. We were caught in the incoming high tide. I had my swimming suit on, so I took the opportunity to body surf. I saw a video of it later, and noticed that my bikini was on inside out. The beige lining made it look like I wasn't wearing anything. I was aware that I wasn't keeping the dress code, but I didn't really care.

We climbed a steep trail and came to a large house. We went inside and climbed the steps to the attic where the owners, who we clearly didn't know, had a stockpile of clothing and food. Jason picked out a pair of snow pants. He said he might need them on the return trip. I didn't want anything so bulky, so I took a pair of rain pants. Then I saw a ten pound bag of flour that I wanted and decided to take that also.

We went down the steps and were about to leave when we heard someone come in. Heavy footsteps made it sound like the person was in a big rush. The footsteps went to a different part of the house than we were in. I wanted to run out a different entrance, but Jason wanted to hide. I squeezed myself in the space behind a dresser in a dark corner only to realize that my head and upper body were showing. I looked up to see that anyone coming down the stairs would be looking straight at me. At that moment I heard the footsteps coming down the stairs. I bolted from my poor hiding place, looking for another, but it was too late.

A goateed man asked me what I was doing. I explained that we needed to cross the mountain. He said little, sternly staring at me. "I found some rain pants," I faltered; "would it be okay if I took them." After an uncomfortable silence I added, "Of course I'll pay for them." Suddenly several people were waiting to pay at a makeshift cash register. The goateed man was putting on some kind of a show. I dumped the change from my wallet on the floor, counting out pennies and nickels. After waiting a while, I realized there was no longer a line and went up and paid. The flour was leaking everywhere.

Back on the trail, we stopped for a breather and I poked around on a side trail. A short distance away I found a beautiful spot with a view of both sides of the island. A woman passed us on the narrow trail. I pushed myself up tight against the brambles lining the trail to let her by.

Sronnoc Esor

Lawn Daisy

Ironically enough, I sprayed the driveway for weeds (like lawn daisies) today, but the best picture of the day, shooting with my new-to-me 70-210 zoom lens, was this lawn daisy. The ones I sprayed in the driveway hadn't bloomed yet, making the act of mass herbicide much more palatable. A few blooming weeds in the driveway were actually spared.

.

Who decides what is a weed or a flower? My neighbor mercilessly uproots johnny-jump-ups in the lawn. To me they are lovely. My thoughts inevitably wander to the human corollary. Who gets to decide who is a good or bad person, worthy of life, or citizenship, or enrollment in elite clubs? I confess to my own fair share of snobbery. I like people who are clean, and pretty, and fit, and above all intelligent.

.

How often do I overlook someone who might bloom beautifully because the foliage is unsightly or unwanted?

.

rc

Lake of Shining Waters

By no means a good photo, but I love the sparkles on the water, and it reminds me of my childhood favorite Anne of Green Gables, with her penchant for romanticizing things. Some days I think that's not a bad idea after all. I've always identified with Anne-with-an-e.
.
Rose-with-an-e

Gone Wading

I was contemplating how best to photograhically represent how positively summery our weather has been when I spotted this young lady enjoying the lake. Granted, I wasn't tempted to join her, but I think she does a nice job of communicating how Mother Nature is making us feel these days.

~

In anticipation of our nearing move, we've been discussing getting Shadow used to the traveling. She begins to cry piteously the moment we step out the door with her. Today for the first time since our move nearly a year ago (and her accidental foray out the window) we sat in the truck with her for about ten minutes. She spent most of the time in mommy's lap, but little of it actually crying. More on that later.

~

Rose

Sunshine and Flowers

~
I embraced the gift of a beautiful sunny day today and coerced jc into going for a walk around town. I was rewarded by seeing the first crocus opening.
~
A niggling problem was solved for me today. I'd made a few calls to the person with the answer, but when he heard my name he was suddenly unavailable. He inadvertently dialed my number today, intending to discuss me with a third party, and answered my question.
~
rc

February Fourteen

We got this for ourselves.

rc

Time

There are those who believe that time is a wheel turning forever.
Which would mean that your moment will surely come.
Then, there are those who believe that time is a river.
If that's true, it's possible your moment has already flowed by.
I think that time is just time.

~One-Who-Waits

Northern Exposure

Season 4, Episode 13

"Duets"

Bonaparte's Gull

It is a delight to find this most graceful gull with its dancing flight and delicate form.

.

It is also a delight to have more work than I want offered to me. I was forced to stay home and rest tonight after poor day sleep the last few days. Reallly, that makes me plenty happy.

.

Good birds.

.

Good work.

.

Good rest.

.

Rose

House of D- movie review

I'm looking forward to more movies from David Duchovny after this gem. It paints a picture of a vast range of human experience and emotion, riddled with clever wordplay and sensitive, emotional acting. Ultimately, Tommy comes to terms with the unresolved angst of his youth with the help of Pappass and "Lady". Highly recommended.

.

official website

.

rc

I'm a Lie-Abed

.

Most people out there would say it was time for me to wake up anyway at three in the afternoon. The only reason I did get up now is a pounding headache fueled by the need for caffeine. I spent most of my life raging in what I believed at the time to be futile resistance against the daily grind of waking at a reasonable hour and being profitable. Most of those years were spent in school: twenty years learning and two years teaching.

.

They told us in nursing school that it was a simple fact that you had to accept. Working night shift for the first several years of year nursing career is part of paying your dues. I gladly accepted a job working evenings and began the happiest time of my life. For the first time in my life, my waking was not governed by an alarm clock. jc and I would go to Miami Beach at midnight for diner food at Big Pink. We would go to bed at three am, and I would wake up when I felt like it. Another decision I made at the time was not to work full-time. I had been surviving for years on minimum wage. With nurse's wages, I could afford not to spend my whole life working. jc adopted the philosophy years ago: don't wait until you retire to enjoy life.

.

So that brings me to now: working night shift and loving it, waking up only to silence my headache with a cup of Scottish breakfast tea, brewed from loose leaves.

(Pictured above are our tame, wild, yard deer. I threw a banana peel on the compost a few days ago. Yesterday, when I walked out the back door eating a banana, they came begging. The little fellow ate my whole banana and then ran off with the peel. Hope it isn't bad for him.)

Rose

Sunset

Wedding- dream journal

One of the Fisher girls was getting married and we were invited to a three-day, gala, house party in honor of the event. I was going on vacation, and could only make it to some of the party. There were lots of people there and Sue served a fantastic meal. For dessert, she had fresh, hot, buttered biscuits smothered in stewed blackberries. It was so vivid that I could taste it. I started talking to someone who I perceived as one of my cousins, but was really Bob Speary. He had travelled in from the city for the wedding and was very interesting to talk to. I commented that I never expected any of my relatives to actually be interesting, and that it was a pleasant surprise. It was time for me to go, so I rummaged in the closet until I found my purse, which was inside a hatbox. I went out to the car, which was parked halfway down the long, dirt lane to write a check for my expenses for the party. I wrote a check for $100, took it inside, and handed it to Sue, thanking her for the party. Sue mentioned how happy she and Paul had been since they got married the previous year.

As I left the house, I saw Paul filling some kind of tank from three Gerry cans. I instinctively knew that he was getting ready to blow up the whole place. I furtively went out the side door and around the side of the house and ran back down the lane to the car. When I got in the car, it was full of smoke. Mother was sitting in the driver's seat getting high, and she moved over so I could get in. I drove off down the lane. At the end of the lane was a six-lane superhighway. I wanted to make a left, but traffic was too heavy, so I made a right and drove a short distance before making a huge U-turn. I pulled into traffic behind a big box truck loaded with things. I was following so closely that I couldn't see anything bu the stuff in the back of the open truck.

Sronnoc Esor