well, its almost 5AM
The night sky is still deep. The moon, waning but high in the sky, bright, shinning silver reflections off of the slick Oak and Madrone leaves and casting long shadows out of the woods onto the open meadow......
I was rewarded for getting out of bed at 4:30 by witnessing a falling star blazing just over the treetops.
I had lain there awake since 2. It might have been that rooster crowing in the distance, dogs barking? Something woke me.
I heard the peepers, but the bull frogs have been conspicuously quiet. I also have not seen any of those beautiful black and white birds with the orange throats flitting about the yard lately and have been chasing a small grey cat with white paws out of the flower beds this past week. The hummingbirds however are still dive bombing me . The lizards, skeeving me out, but, valuable in their bug eating place in the food chain.
I went to bed about 10:30. Maybe not quite ready to. Actually, thinking of sticking to this schedule. Getting up early, don't want to be a late sleeper when i get back to Connecticut.
I've heard one car already rolling down Bald Rock Road. And there are some sparse, wavy, clouds glowing eastward out the bedroom window.
I worked around the roses yesterday. It's proven to be very rewarding as they are all leafing out a little more and the buds keep forming. I weeded all around them and dug up and loosened the dirt around their canes then cut off the spent blooms and gave them some water. Where their stems were rubbing against each other i cut.
Tied up the tomatoes and laid more of a support over the strawberry frame for the butternut squash volunteers who are climbing up and across the top.
Suddenly a tiny cucumber vine is crawling across the bed with the onions. Never having grown onions, wondering, are they supposed to be growing on top of the dirt? There is some spicy Arugula growing in the half barrel near the deck.
Regarding figs. I didn't know i could jump that high in my attempt to procure them from their high branches. Their dark smooth skin, soft and velvety as a foal's nose, sit heavy in the palm of your hand, and with the slightest pressure burst open exposing their hundreds of tiny seeds encased in sweet , red, gooey goodness. I picked 6. Three made it into the house.
The "dog" drinking from the other end of the pond about mid afternoon slowly moved up into the brush before two very tiny fawns appeared up from the tall grass and stood shoulder to shoulder on the edge of the water, their little heads bent down drinking from the pond. Tried to sneak around with the camera but they heard me crunching on the leaves that have fallen across the trail and only got a photograph of their miniature hoof prints in the mud.. No turtle sightings by the way.
I was happy to hear from Sue and Erin today and spent a couple hours on the phone.
But never finishing my story about the side trip, I left off enthralled by the topography and climate and abundance of crops traveling through the valley and foothills.
I got into the edge of town mid afternoon. It was hot . Lazy. The deer don't even move off the road, they just lean over to let you drive by.
Missing my turn in Angels Camp ended up going all the way into Sonora before back tracking into Columbia. Columbia is an old mining town, preserved, a dedicated state park now, destination of tourists and home to many businesses, you can ride a stagecoach there, pan gold in a sluice, go to an old time candy shop, get a cold sasparilla, visit a ferrier, see inside the old jail, and newspaper, see a play at the opera house, spend a night in the Grand Hotel, obtain refreshment at two bars, spend your money on souvineers at the Old Merchantile, visit the fire station, Columbia is a living museum, really a great place for history buffs, for families, and there is free entertainment on the street, dusty streets, and wooden sidewalks. Kind of like Mystic Seaport. ( maybe, ive never been there or to Sturbridge Village either )
Anyway after stopping by to see Perry and Angie's new place,I drove out to see the house where i lived and can barely describe it. I don't think your brain lets you understand what you're looking at. The roof is gone. The windows are melted globs of glass. The inside is incomprehensible. Piles of jet black debris of what was once the ceiling, the walls, furniture, appliances, collectibles, books, pictures, art, clothes, all gone charred , misshapen. The trim was melted off the car parked in the driveway. There is where our desks were and the shipping desk where i prepared the packages for mailing. That is where my dresser stood, where i still stored clothes for future visits. This was the kitchen where i cooked for Pop who perished with his companion and love , Viola. You look and look more and stare hard and still can not take it in. Can not sort it out. Can not fathom the nightmare.
After seeing it, I felt less giddy. More sobered than when i had driven into town. I know that my mood was tempered all weekend, and still is, by seeing this devastation and feeling Perry's and Angelina's heartbreaking loss, the frustration and overwhelming burden of tasks ahead trying to put this in order, and start a new life. Am somewhat pained , personally, by my inability to be of help to them.
It is still not determined to what started the fire.
Well now it's 5:51AM. Is it Wednesday ? ....not really sure. The moon is still bright but the stars have faded into the dawn. I can see through the tall straight trunks of the pines and cedar that the horizon is pink and streaked with mauve and violet clouds. Probably should have driven up hill this morning. Up to 5,000 feet to Walker Plains. A flat area at the top of a peak, a flat empty area higher than the tops of the trees. The view of sunrise is pretty spectacular from that height. And really, up there, nothing, no body, miles of pure wilderness. After looking out the window, of maybe doing that tomorrow, if i get up that early again.
Finished my chocolate birthday cake for supper last night, just wanted to get it over with so it would stop calling me, so why am i hungry now?
Still haven't finished the story about the "Sonora Nights" street festival. Or about the "Fire on the Mountain" Blues Festival. But have been sitting here on the computer too long already. And it's barely daylight.
The plan today will be to wack down some dandelions so i can walk through the garden from raised bed to raised bed without them wrapping their long stems around my legs and smacking their hard little heads into me. There is always something to do in the wonderful veggie garden.
I started to weed in the back yard last week, and will get out there to finish once it warms up today...now sitting at the computer wearing a sweatshirt and wearing heavy socks. There are dishes soaking in the sink, a load of dark clothes to wash. have got a list of busy work. And want to finish that book " The Art of Happiness" by the Dali Lama, Larry can read it next.
Well, here is the first humming bird, clicking and whirring here outside the window looking for sugar water . Must be time for my morning cup of tea.......
Love and Miss you.
Mom/Sal
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