Long Hollow

Updates from a Week with Wings

It's almost too much for me to fathom that Thanksgiving is only a week away. Why does time speed up so much as you get older? Is it because you start to realize how precious each minute is and you know you've wasted zillions of them already that you can't get back? Do we then try to cram so much into each minute, afraid to waste a single more, that they burst, propelling us into the future even faster?

Oh, man...too much thinking this early in the morning! And what's the sense in even wondering about it? Isn't that just another waste of a minute?

Here are a few updates of our week with wings...

...Good new first...for two meals in a row, Charly has cleaned his plate! We went back to the same old routine and he's eating again, without any begging, pleading or bribery from us. That's a blessing for sure.

...Tom has been on jury duty this week. All I know is it's a child abuse case - he can't discuss it outside of the courtroom - but it's got to be a pretty depressing way to spend the day. Nevertheless, he's happy to be doing his part as a citizen.

(On the first day he was so frustrated - they were told to report at 9am. He got there at 8:15, not knowing how much of a problem traffic or parking would be, but wanting to be sure he was on time. At 11:15 he called me - they were still waiting on other potential jurors to show up! They couldn't even start interviewing until they all arrived. One (a school teacher, for goodness sake!) rolled in around 11:45. But there was still one missing; by phone, they promised to be there by 1pm, so the bailiff told the rest of them to break for lunch...but be back by ONE! Period! Everyone did...except the schoolteacher who had just gotten there before the break. She strolled back in at 1:15. Such a lack of consideration for others...such a lack of civic responsibility and respect...that just drives me crazy.)

...besides getting my library cleaned up and relatively organized (I call it a library, but it's really just a catch-all/guest room with books filling the window sills and one metal bookshelf), I finally closed up Chapter 6 to my satisfaction. This morning I traveled a pretty good distance into Chapter 7. Little by little, it's coming along.

...yesterday morning, Charly had another adventure. He and Max headed into the woods on the trail of something, so I decided to follow them. The owners of this property  used to come out pretty frequently...they fixed it up with picnic tables, grill...even an outhouse and cistern! (We call it "The Campground".) They don't mind us walking on it - it was vandalized once, so they appreciate us keeping an eye on it for them.

Anyway, I noticed Charly meandering off a bit into the woods, but Max and Frankie were busy and I was drawn to the pond...to the reflections of the trees on the mirror surface. I had my camera and took some pictures, just kind of hanging out while the 'kids' played, getting lost in memories of the days years ago when I'd hang around on the playgrounds while Tommy, Daniel and Kendall played.

Then it hit me that Charly hadn't come back! I started calling and calling, finally diving into the woods with Max and Frankie in the direction he went, a little worried that he'd worked himself down a hill into a ravine or the edge of the pond and not be able to get out. On a walk this past Saturday I had to lift him up to the next level of rock on the creekbed. His short little legs just don't have much 'oomph' left in them. And then there are the coyotes...

We emerged onto the road and there he was, heading toward us from the bend, safe and sound. Kids!

A few pictures from our detour yesterday morning...reflections (I've always loved that tree on the other side - such a unique shape)...you can barely see Max in the prairie grass...on Charly's trail through the woods...

 
 

Good Morning, Sunshine!

Long Hollow waking up...what a beautiful way to start a new week...

 

 

 

Happy Monday!

 

And I thought the sunrise was beautiful...

I don't like working as late as I did today, shutting down my office about the same time the sun is calling it a day. I like to have it still shining bright when I pull up to the house. It makes me feel like I still have hours and hours left to get things done.

But this afternoon I had a Jobs4Autism blog post I needed to finish, so by the time I headed home, it seemed like a race between me and the sun.

And then I noticed the sky...

Suddenly I didn't mind driving home while the sun was saying goodnight. It was all I could do to keep my eyes on the road. Once home, I dropped my bags on the floor, grabbed my camera and captured the glorious grand finale...

An Adventure a Day

If I were an artist, I would paint a picture of this hollow as it looked this morning...muted greens and browns along the road where the mists and shadows of night still lingered...blazing golds and reds in the treetops and hillsides basking in the fresh sunshine....Max, Charly and Frankie making their way along the caliche road that stretches out before me, that rises, twists and turns like a child's roller coaster ride before disappearing into a distant haze at the base of a hill...the pink blush on the horizon melting into a cloudless Easter blue sky above it all...

No photograph of mine could do it justice. But then, even a painting couldn't capture the cool breeze, the songs of the morning birds, the quiet plodding of our feet on the wet caliche, Charly's panting, Max's warning barks at imagined dangers, Frankie's excited twitter and inquisitive trills.

Our walks are taking longer and longer. I made the mistake yesterday of leaving it last, so when Max and Charly disappeared up a hill at the bend, I was agitated, knowing they were going to make me run even later than usual to work.

Max returned when I called, but not Charly. He played the 'deaf old man' card and kept plodding deeper into the woods. Dang old dog. I stepped across the little stream and into the woods after him, emerging a few minutes later at the little pond nestled at the bases of converging hills. It was beautiful. I was still anxious to get back, but at the same time, I was grateful to the old fart for leading me off the usual path and experiencing something different.

And how could I begrudge him a little adventure? We should all hope for at least one adventure a day. So this morning our walk came before writing and when Max and Charly clambered up a small steep hill on another little adventure, I didn't call them back. I figured if Charly had the gumption to tackle it (it was a pretty steep climb and he had to work at it), who was I to hold him back?

That old dog just keeps teaching me.

Shakin' Things Up

I headed off for my walk before the sun even kissed the tops of the trees in the hollow today. The full moon started the magic of the morning...when I emerged from the bedroom, I was greeted with moonlight that splashed across the back deck and reached into the house through the French doors.  I hurried to the doors to catch a glimpse of it, but it hid from me behind the roof line, just out of my line of vision. It was already cold in the house, so I decided against stepping outside for a better view.

It was when the horizon turned pink above the treeline that I decided to change up my routine: mornings are now for writing, evenings for working out. By the time I get home from work in the evenings, my brain is tired, my creativity has long given up on me and curled up somewhere for a nap. And once it's asleep, it's hard to wake back up, believe me!

So instead of my work-out, I headed out for a walk with the critters earlier than normal. They were all excited, invigorated by the cooler weather. Even Frankie came with us!

As we walked the sunlight steadily worked its way down into the hollow. It was actually cool enough to see my breath wisping away from me. Along the way a vulture swooped low twice and each time Frankie scurried for cover in the trees, making a high-pitched squeal and trill...different enough from his usual chatterings and chirpings that it caught my attention. I'm glad I know his distress call now.

By the time I plopped down in front of the computer, my brain was refreshed from the fresh, brisk air, the sunshine and the singing of the little creek, and in that next hour I spent with my great-great grandfather, the words came a little easier than they had been lately and I was able to move him further along in his journey.

Unfortunately, my body isn't going to like this new routine. It's had way too much time to dread the upcoming work-out and think up excuses...like needing to finish a blog post started earlier today. How could I fall for that?

But I'm onto its tricks now - time to sweat! I hope there's something good on TV...

Pop! and a Belated Halloween Visitor

POP! That's the sound Tom's ankle made yesterday as we prepared to cross Jollyville Road for the car show. No exciting story...just a matter of stepping wrong on the angled curb.

 "Pop!" was followed by a curse word mingled with a groan and instead of crossing the street, we sat down on the curb to evaluate the situation. The car show disappeared from my mind...I was trying to figure out how to get Tom back to the car...parked half a mile away.

But, of course, he refused to miss the car show and I knew it would be a waste of time to argue with him. We walked a little, rested a little while eating Rudy's melt-in-your-mouth BBQ, then walked a little more - about three hours more - before he decided he should get his ankle home, elevated, and iced down.

Tom has had, among other injuries, a broken ankle (the other one), a broken foot (the same one), and a bruised thigh (much more serious than it sounds, apparently.) He was comparing this injury to the worst of them on our way home...that's how bad it hurt. Mostly he lamented that he had the next week off - he had lots of work planned around the house and hated to waste his days off with an injury!

Thanks to the University of Texas football game on television last night, he spent several hours with his foot propped up. We both still figured it would be a rainbow-colored swollen mess this morning, but surprisingly  he was able to limp in and out of church, up and down the stairs, and in and out of the house to the grill where he's smoking some ribs. It takes a lot to keep this guy down! What a relief to both of us!! (I really don't mind taking over his 'chores' like feeding the dogs at night if I need to...it's relaxing to sit on the porch gazing at the stars and listening to the night... but it takes up time I could use doing something else!)

Speaking of the grill...he found a new visitor, very appropriate for the Halloween season, hiding inside the cabinet. I don't think this one will stick around long, though, so I snapped a picture while I had the chance.

First here are some pictures from the car show. I found more old trucks I like and Tom found a Ford GT he could be happy with. Ken, from Colvin Automotive, noticed my Nikon and offered to take my picture sitting inside the Ford GT. (It's fun to dream every once in a while!) So I took a picture of Ken and K.C. Colvin, owner of the business. Ken spent a lot of time talking to me, Tom, and our friend Dean about engines, but I admit that after awhile, I lost interest. I'm not at the car shows for the big, pretty engines. For me, it's about art - color and design. And I found art aplenty at this show...

This green truck caught my eye...

Tom's pick, a Ford GT...

But I got to sit inside one...

K.C. Colvin and Ken of Colvin Automotive...

Guys love an engine....

But I love the art and creativity...

Our visitor!

 

A Dam Update: Is it tacky to say "I told you so"?

Before I get into the dam update, I have to say this has been an absolutely beautiful, yet very prayerful, day.

It rained all night, but when it came time to walk the critters, the dark clouds were packing up and blue sky was peeking through. Before too long, the sun had taken charge of the sky...the cooler temperatures had remained...and it was as close to perfect as you can get on earth.

When I got home from work this afternoon, the sound of a roaring creek greeted my ears, Tom was grilling T-Bones (on sale at Randall's right now!), and Frankie left me a feather on the doorstep after he inspected the front bathroom.

But in the meantime, I had found out that my Uncle Bobby was having surgery for prostate cancer today and also that Sherrie, a high school classmate of mine, had passed away earlier this week. The funeral will be Saturday, a day when I'll be helping another classmate celebrate her 51st birthday.

 "A little too ironic, don't you think?" But I guess life's just that way...a balancing act...storm clouds and sunshine...beauty and destruction...life and death.

Okay, back to the dam...the good news is we have a full pond and a rushing waterfall and creek once again. (Didn't I say it was feast or famine around here?) The bad news is, we were right - at least a little bit, anyway - a portion of the dam collapsed into our pond. But for some reason being right doesn't feel so good this time...

I wonder how many tons of dirt washed into our pond?

Tom scoping it out with Max and Frankie...

Good news...the waterfall is back...my favorite spot on our land...

Morning

 

Through the blackest night, morning gently tiptoes, feeling its way to dawn. ~Robert Brault

Hanging on...

It rained this afternoon! Not just a wimpy sprinkling, mind you, but a vigorous, committed downpour preceded by wind, thunder and everything! We could hear it in the house...like music to our ears.

It didn't last long, but it stretched to other parched areas. My friend Nancy called from her place southeast of San Antonio so I could hear the rain coming down on them, too. She said it's so dry there, it's starting to look like a desert. Not good, considering that's farm and ranch land - people depend on the land - and therefore the rain- for their livelihood.

It wasn't enough rain to end the drought, of course. Even if it set in raining like this every day, it would be months before we caught up. But we're all grateful even for this little bit.

On my walk this morning I noticed that Mother Nature is still flashing some bling, despite the drought...

 

She's having to get creative. What in the world are these?...

I didn't forget to look up...

 

 

 

Just Me, Max and the Moon

The moon overflowed into the dark livingroom this morning; its light poured through the french doors and splashed across the floor to my bedroom door, forming a path of light that beckoned me outside. How could I resist?

And there it was, waiting for me just above the tree tops. Its radiance kissed my upturned face and chased shadows in the hollow.

Max stirred at the end of the deck - too quickly to have been asleep. I suspect he, too, had been lured there by the magic of the moonlight. He joined me and we stood together, staring at the moon and the masterpiece it rendered in the hollow with a few strokes of moonlight....

If I Lived Near the Beach...

...I would rise with the sun every morning and walk along the beach...I would spend every spare minute during the day searching for unique seashells, capturing images of the birds, the dunes, the grasses, the waves on my camera, feeling the sun kiss my shoulders, and cooling off in the surf...I would find a quiet spot to watch the sun set on the horizon..

    ...I would also have skin the texture of an old leather saddle. It took turning 50 to appreciate one dream NOT coming true.

    But spending a week or two a year near the shore is just what I need to wash the clutter from my brain. Yesterday we visited Opal Beach near Pensacola. A beach lover's dream come true! Huge expanses of white sand speckled with shells and decorated with delicate grasses and short sections of wind-washed picket fences. The water was emerald green...crystal clear (you could see your feet)...and refreshing like a glass of iced tea on a summer day.  We had the beach practically to ourselves except for a herd of lifeguards-in-training. Tom and I took a walk so far there wasn't another soul in sight - only the sea birds. Our footsteps were the only ones dotting the sand.
   Before I was ready, it was time to go - the soft sunshine switched to "High Heat" - skin was turning pink and stomachs were growling. We'll squeeze at least one more visit in before heading back home to the hill country.  But I'm thinking it's a good thing I don't live in a beach town.

Slowing Down for a Second Glance

Keeping an eye out for beauty at the University of Texas yesterday, while I wandered...and finding it, of course...

 

 

 

 

A Man and His...Bird?

    Tom and I are trying to slow down a little. We've been hitting the trails on our property the last couple of days, taking advantage of the sunshine and sub-100 degree temperatures while they both last. This evening, Charly, Max and Frankie all went with us, but yesterday the dogs wimped out and just Frankie tagged along. He came trotting up when we called and tagged along close behind Tom, making sure we didn't get out of his sight. It seems so strange, and yet so normal.

    We waded through Mexican hats and under an arching tunnel of lush green grapevine that cover the land bridge to get to the other side of the creek, then took a trail down to the little pond. It's my favorite place - a quiet green oasis, draped in ferns. No water runs down the upper creek, dropping as a miniature waterfall into the pond right now, although it does happen, and when it does, you couldn't imagine such a little waterfall could make so much noise - even on our back deck I've closed my eyes and could easily imagine I was sitting next to the gulf shore, listening to the surf. But it's still glorious when it's quiet. I envision myself...someday...sitting there on a little bench under the trees next to the pond, listening to the waterfall (this is a dream, after all!), typing away on a laptop.

 

 

 

Can you find the guinea in the pictures below?

 

Yellow

    Yellow rules our hollow these days. Except for the splash of purple at the dip in the road (my prairie verbena, still hanging in there), a few droopy Mexican hats and the red Indian blanket patches popping up in our little front yard, yellow is the color of the season; I counted at least six different shapes of yellow on my walk this morning.

    Yellow is the color of summer. The calendar might say it's still spring, but if you break a sweat walking at eight in the morning, wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt, it's summer, isn't it? I can't believe there are this many wildflowers that like the heat, but I'm glad they do...

 

Snacktime in the Country

    "Hey Barb - come here! Quick!! Hurry!!"

    I dropped what I was doing and rushed into the bedroom, but figured Tom was just calling me to watch some poor squirrel try to maneuver around the "squirrel-proofing" he had rigged up on the birdfeeder outside the window. He had been keeping a close watch to see if it worked.

    Instead, my glance outside was rewarded by an explosion of color nibbling on seed at the feeder. A male Painted Bunting had stopped for a snack in our front yard - lucky us! He was absolutely gorgeous, and was gracious enough to stick around long enough for me to connect my zoom lens to my camera and sneak out the front door for a few photographs.

    I also snapped a few of a squirrel enjoying the corn I put out for him. My dad made the squirrel feeder a few years ago, but I admit I had gotten negligent about replacing the empty cobs. After our experience with Sammy, I'm replacing it every day again, in his memory and honor (especially since Tom is successfully keeping his family off of the bird feeder!)

 

 

Playing "Where in the world is..."

    I have been ALL over the world this month...virtually, anyway.

First, my friend Rae tromped all over New Zealand with her husband for two weeks, sharing her experiences and photos with all of us on Facebook as much as she could. Here she is inside of a maoreki boulder.

 

 

 

 

 

    And of course, Kendall has been jet-setting and tourist-ing all over Spain and southern France. Google has become an intimate friend of mine this week. See some of what Kendall has seen, only in PERSON...Chateau at Peyrepertuse and Carcasonne, France...(photos by James Martin, copyright 2002 and 2003)

 

 

    Tom and Daniel trekked around Big Bend last weekend, and now today Tom is off in San Antonio with his brother's family, probably eating dinner on the riverwalk, and Daniel is popping the tent open again at Krause Springs.

    I took my own little sightseeing trip this morning. It was just my morning walk, but the wildflowers are waking up (the purple flowers are back!) reminding me that this part of the world is pretty special, too.

 

 

 

It's here! Really! It is!

     There's a fire in the woodburning stove and it's cold and rainy outside tonight, but this is just a last-ditch effort from Winter. I captured proof last week that Spring is really here. We're too far south for this breath of winter to harm these gorgeous early arrivals...wisteria dripping purple blossoms in front of the high school...my grandmother's azaleas exploding in front of my mother's house...my dad's yesterday-today-and-tomorrow plant that blooms a different color each day...bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush dancing on the sides of the highway between Houston and Austin...

 

 

 

Miracles and Elusive Minutes

    I had big plans for yesterday morning - things to catch up on, maybe even get ahead. I certainly got up early enough, but before I knew it, it was time to leave for work, and nothing I had planned to do was done! 

    Does anyone else ever get the feeling that someone is playing tricks on them by moving the hands on the clocks up a couple of hours? 

    Granted, I took time to snap some pictures of the buds on the fruit tree outside the middle school, and of the critters on our walk, and some new yellow blooms on an ugly-as-sin bush near the curve, and a couple of yellow flowers hiding under the winter grass, but still...it was a beautiful day (and today is,too) and I think on days like this you have to slow down a little to focus on and appreciate the little details.

    Today, I'm especially appreciating the fact that my sister's angels surrounded her yesterday when a dumptruck broadsided her little car. Every day you read of people being killed in accidents like that, yet she was able to crawl out the passenger door, and tests today confirmed there's nothing broken, just a lot (a LOT) of sore muscles.

    And I'm appreciating the fact that I had another day with my old puppy Charly...we're down to the "taking it a day at a time" time with him. But today, he ate with gusto and ran ahead of Max into the woods on our walk this morning (granted, Max was walking, but STILL...Charly RAN!)

    Right now I'm catching my breath (and savoring another cup of coffee) before I get swept up in the weekend - I'll be off in a minute to the grocery store to stock up for a full house: both Tommy and Daniel will be here tonight. Tom and Tommy are heading out bright and early to buy Tommy a car. Tonight I'm looking forward to hanging out with them, probably watching a funny (silly) movie. Tomorrow, I'll be filling out FAFSA forms, keeping my fingers crossed that Kendall's and Daniel's financial aid packages include more scholarships and grants than loans.

    Here are yesterday's distractions...Spring is around the corner, for sure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas Snow Part 2 - Trumped!

    Our little dusting of snow was exciting, but wouldn't you know, the Houston area had a REAL snowfall out of the same system that just teased us the other night. As my sister put it, "We got more snow than you...nah nah nah!!!"

    My friend Cliff shared pictures that his wife took - he was trying to find a safe route home from work at my old plant. My parents stayed up late watching it fall and another friend said he and his son built a 6 ft. tall snowman!

    In the 35 or so years I lived in the Houston area, I know of only three snowfalls of more than two inches: one when I was a baby, and two when I was in 8th grade. That's it! (that I can remember right now, anyway...) This is Patti in my front yard - we walked the neighborhood for hours that day...

     Here in Austin we've had several light dustings and a handful of ice storms, but not enough snow for more than a mini-snowman. So, yes, I am a little jealous right now, although I'm glad we didn't have the icy roads to deal with. I have more experience than I want with those, thanks anyway.

    This was our first winter here - our neighbors let us sled down their sloping driveway - there was enough ice that even Tom and I took turns! (We have a real Wisconsin sled that belonged to his uncle - it was great to be able to actually use it!)

    These are from our last ice storm, almost two years ago...

 

 

Above - you can see the branches of the juniper trees are weighed down by the ice, and we're walking on "grass-cicles"...Below - the ice slowly sliding off of the roof as the temperature rose...

Delicious Autumn

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it.

~George Eliot British writer, 19th century

    What a beautiful weekend! And what a perfect way to spend it...wandering the streets of medieval Europe, even if it's really just a make-believe village set in the thick woods north of Houston, and the buildings are really only thirty years old. Music, wine, art, entertainment, fireworks. Pictures will come later.

    Today I had my parents all to myself - first church, then lunch at Applebee's, then lots of coffee and conversation before I had to head back home, driving due west, straight into a glorious pink, purple, and orange sunset. Delicious autumn!

    

Wildflowers and miracles

     They started as unimpressive green-brown clumps plopped along the side of the road and mixed in with the taller prairie grasses spreading into the trees. The tips turned yellow, but I still thought of them as some kind of weed.

     Then one morning, I paid closer attention...lo and behold, the yellow tips were tiny buds, unfolding into dozens of beautiful miniature daffodil-ish flowers. What a surprise! Then it hit me that these flowers were like people...they can seem dull or ordinary and easily overlooked, but if you take the time to really look, try to get to know them, you discover no one is really ordinary - there's something special, something worth noticing about everyone. We're all miracles, all full of hidden beauty or talent, just like these wildflowers. Sometimes we have to remember that it's true for ourselves, too.

      Buddha said, "if we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole lives would change."

      I think if we could see the miracle of ourselves and those around us, our whole lives would change even more.

Dirty Vans, Red Skies, and Wildflowers - bits of my life

     No one can resist a dirty van window. Every day I've noticed a new message scrawled in the dust. This morning a big smiley face greeted us, proclaiming "I (heart) dirt!" I hate to deprive people of this creative outlet, but, alas, I've decided that Monday afternoon I'll swing by the car wash between my stint working at the church and picking up Kendall from school. I'll have thirty minutes - I should be able to get most of the dirt off...I'll do my best, anyway. Then it begins again...

     You know when you're swimming and you feel those currents of warm water splicing through the cold? (No, I'm not talking about when someone upstream of you relieved themselves, but natural temperature differences...) Well, this morning I felt air currents like that when I was walking the dogs...a cool breeze, then a swirl of warmth, like I was in the middle of a battle between summer and autumn. Yesterday I was actually cold on my walk - I zipped my hoodie all the way up, stuffed my hands deep into the pockets, huddled over, and walked fast. Summer made a small comeback this morning - it's fighting hard, trying to hang on - but we know how this story turns out.

    The youth retreat starts tomorrow - I'm really excited about it now; everything is falling into place. The challenge will be staying up all night Saturday as a chaperone. I have plenty of homework and writing to catch up on and other chaperones to talk to, but I am REALLY tired! I have "SLEEP" written on my calendar for Sunday. I'll try to channel my inner fourteen-year-old that had no problem staying up all night at slumber parties. How did I do it when I worked twelve-hour night shifts at the chemical plant? I think the trick was to spread out my work, take a walk through my area once an hour, and bring lots of busy work - that's when I worked on genealogy, read books, wrote letters. (I used to get a lot accomplished when I was a working mom!) I think the other secret was food - we ate a lot! Sunflower seeds, grapes, and lots of popcorn...food that keeps you busy. But if I remember right, about 4 am, my body would suddenly feel like it weighed 1000 pounds, from my eyelids down to my toes, and it was a battle staying awake until shift change at 6 am. Wish me luck!!

     Here are some glimpses from nature's portfolio from the last couple of weeks...a breathtaking sunset (again, I'm not skilled enough at photography to really capture it), some strange new purple flowers that sprang up on the side of our road, and some dainty yellow ones that I couldn't resist  photographing...

 

 

If only I had my camera...

     Dropped Kendall off at school this morning...headed back home, driving almost due east...came to the top of a hill and caught my breath. A white mist rose above the hills, looking like a snow-capped mountain.  Just above it, the bottom half of the rising sun hung under a line of gray clouds; it was thinly veiled so that you could look at it straight-on, a perfect half-circle outlined in yellow, glowing softly over the hills and hollows. It was so beautiful. I guess it's a good thing I didn't have my camera - the road curves right there and I would have ended up at the bottom of a hollow, most likely.

    But I think I'll start carrying my camera. There are too many moments like that one that I would like to save and share. Soon, the hollows will be filled with condensed clouds in the morning, like bowls of whipped cream...the hill tops peeking through. With my limited photography skills, I doubt I'll be able to capture the scene, but I'll give it a try.

    All photography tips are welcome!

Capturing the moments

     The clock seems to be spinning like it jumped out of Alice's Wonderland - where did my day go? I still have the screenplay for "Dances With Wolves" to read, an article to write for the local paper, phone calls to make for the youth retreat, and two pages of the opening scene of my screenplay to write...in the correct format. So this post is a return to the calm I felt yesterday morning...

    These mini-daisies just sprang up on the front path - the only ones I've seen around here. I don't know what they are and don't have time to find out, but I took the time to capture their image in case they disappear as quickly as they came...

 

     After our walk, Max plopped down in the middle of the road in front of our house. It's almost impossible to get an unblurred picture of him...what you can't see from this is what a goofball big puppy he really is...

 

Now this is a puppy-dog face - Charly, the old man, such a sweetie.

Morning Glory

     I hate getting up before dawn, but...I love getting up before dawn.

     Frankie roosted on the woodpile last night, perched on a piece that stuck up a few inches, like a mini-branch. I remembered it this morning just as the treetops became visible, so I went to the window to check on him. There he was, already up and pecking at bugs on the sill. Beyond him I saw that the outside world was bathed in a soft blue light; it drew me out the back door onto the deck. A deer started in the clearing below me - I caught a glimpse of him before he turned his white tail to me and disappeared into the trees. It was quiet; the world was yawning, stretching, preparing to kick off the covers and get started on the day.

    I was reminded of sunrises on the Houston Ship Channel - absolutely gorgeous on a clear autumn morning! I remember standing near the cooling tower at the Dupont chemical plant where I worked years ago, clipboard in hand, checking the readings on the pumps, but distracted by the awakening dawn on the horizon.  Vivid purples, pinks, blues, and oranges shoved the night away; the reflection splashed across the still water of the channel. Lights from distant chemical plants sparkled and pelicans glided low along the surface, ready for breakfast. Mornings like that helped me get through the rest of the twelve-hour shift, no matter what else happened.

    It's September. It says so on the calendar, but I can also feel it in the air - a slight crispness, a hint of cool mornings not far away. The sky is even a different shade of blue. It carries me back to those first-week-of-school mornings, trudging the long Meadowlake sidewalk to my elementary school, metal lunchbox in hand. I don't remember what kind I had - that surprises me. It surprises me I don't still have it.   

    The dogs are frisky on our walk this morning; Max prances and pounces on Charly, and Charly puts up with it. They feel the crispness, the promise in the air, too. The wind on my sleeveless arms actually raises goosebumps and "jacket" crosses my mind. But by the time I turn and head back home, the sun has risen higher above the hills and the wind has died down. It's still summer in Texas...but not for long.

Pink Explosions

I had to share these pink flowers..I have no idea what they are, but they were blooming on a huge bush on the side of Oma Gruene's Cottage where we stayed this weekend. I'm going to find out what they are and see if there's any way they would grow in our rocky, caliche-dust soil. I doubt it, but I'll keep my fingers crossed...