June 28 - July 3

June 28... snake in the henhouse.

Baby snake from earlier in the stay...

And, same day as the snake in the henhouse...

On the flip side... good dogs!

* * *

June 29 7pm

Perfectly boring video of lawn mowing. It's kinda cathartic, the mowing. And I can now see I missed a really big spot. 

Also today: hopping hitchhiker (giant grasshopper on the dashboard of the truck); picked about 2 dozen stickers out of Renald's coat; no sign of the snake the 3x that I checked (though only one egg today)

* * *

June 29 9:30pm

Beautiful, mellow sunset... 89 degrees at twilight

Cats colluding on the newly mowed lawn

Cows bellowing

Isolation is complete. Working hard to stay present in the moment and failing epically. This was what I wanted more than anything, and it turns out that I need contact with other people (some people, not just any people).

There is nothing bad about any of this. It's awesome. I am the luckiest person.

* * * 

June 30 7pm

Today I only left the house/surrounds to feed the goats. Passed Chuck on the road and exchanged a few words (literally, a few words). But I saw a big jackrabbit while I was out, and an even bigger raptor (maybe a red-shouldered hawk?).

On return, checked the coop for eggs and/or snake. No snake, two eggs, and some wasps building a nest in the corner (gah).

This morning, a pretty but very dead bird on the porch of the little house. Don't think it was the cats. Maybe a window? 

Started watching the Turkish crime drama that Matt's been talking about, it's great: Bezhat C.

Uneventful day but feeling calm.

* * *

July 1 10am

It's 10am and dark as twilight with rain clouds. I may spend Caturday in bed with the iPad.

* * *

July 1 9pm

Josephine is afraid of thunder.

Battled depression by watching The Place Beyond the Pines in bed this morning. I know. But there was a kind of logic involved. Felt better.

Took a long walk along the fence line and down by the pond after the rain stopped, listening to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me (Peter Segal was on fire today!) and Radiolab (anything neurology will bust a funk for me) and felt better.

There are really big fish, and a turtle, in the pond!

Had a nice long text conversation and felt better.

No snake in the henhouse. Five eggs. Sprayed pesticide on the wasp nest, mea culpa...

Played Cowboy Junkies "Blue Moon Revisited" on the porch and, no kidding, three swallows perched on the rafters above for the duration of the song. Probably doesn't mean anything but it was neat.

Tomorrow, new day. Something like 45 to go. Seems like an eternity right now but it will fly in retrospect so am going to continue to try to breathe through the awesome and the difficult and stay present with all of it.

* * *

July 2 8pm

Went into town today with the idea of having lunch over a magazine and remembered that town is full of tourists! Especially on the weekend.

Later, driving down (up?) the dirt road with a bucketful of goat feed, can of beer between my legs (local custom and childhood memory), blasting Blondie on the radio with the windows down, not wearing a seatbelt.

There's a big puddle in a dip in the road near the house that I LOVE splashing through in the truck. Makes me grin bigly every single time.

Tomorrow painting first thing, and Tuesday Fourth of July BBQ at Carrie's... opportunity to socialize. With people.

* * *

July 2 11pm

Seeing flashlights in the pasture at 10:30 pm is odd and a little scary out here in the middle of nowhere, but no more odd than shaking hands over the fence with two affable and heavily armed young men out hunting hogs. Carrie's son is home with a friend. Friendly and apologetic and looking forward to 4th of July party.

* * *

July 3 11pm

When the wind blows, the rocking chair rocks.

That's all for today aside from a new painting, a couple of dead giant bugs, and a conspiracy of wasps. Kind of relieved.

A question though... does one need to understand the context of a poet to appreciate a poem? I don't think so, but I'm second-guessing myself.

* * *

July 3 1am

Skreetch! Wait a minute. That's not all there is today. There are things I don't get to experience in the Bay Area and want to remember forever because I am super enjoying them:

Low 80's after midnight

Cacophony of crickets and frogs

Stars. Stars! So many of them

Delicious-smelling air- grass and trees and not-fumes

Chickens eating watermelon and strawberries on the lawn

Dirt road, goats, horses, cows, the farm report

Affable young men with rifles 

(Okay, that last one was gratuitous)

I'm missing my people back home. 💛