scarlet tanagers

As I stepped onto the large stone in the creek and turned toward the house, a yellow/green bird flew up to an over arching branch, fluttered her wings to dry. I wondered who until I saw the bright red black winged male on an adjacent limb.
The river is perfect, clear and cool! I swam up river and then across to the rock with the view of the falls. I dried off on "hot rock;" the one DD implores me to come to as soon as i come to the river! she is such a fish, happy happy in the water. the tiny toadies are on the beach, i saw two this afternoon.
ah, and a 6 o'clock rain.

what do you say, what do you do??

If I saw you drowning, I would plunge into the river
but I'm not there and it is pitch dark.
You tell me you fell off a high deck, blood in your eyes
from your skull; yet you ask for my hand to steady
your climb up two crates - why?
I try to elicit information about your insomnia, but I
fail to decipher your tumbled words.
I hand you a remedy for head injury and another for sleep
but I feel my gesture is too late and too weak.
I know you are suffering; it is palpable.

new steps

Hard to imagine that before this step was created - by Baldwin in just a few hours - there was a cider block wobbly step and before that a rotting chunk of wood. Rabbit has found my garden and I have discovered that it has been rabbit eating my baby beet tops. Now to encourage Katrina to hunt rabbit or at least to pooh in garden which is supposed to deter rabbits. Alma's beans are sprouted which will wind up the corn stalks. It is though very much summer with afternoon temperatures in the high 80s and i am behind on projects, especially the one to thin out the day lilies in front so that the roses can breath and to make room for more encore roses. However, the river is lovely and soothing and all that could be needed to slake the heat from the flesh.

sort of Africa

well, we were pretending and the animals had tired of the swing - thinking of constructing a small tree house for bear and friends...of course, a sturdy Nannee and DD tree house would be best. it appears to be a good river day, growing warm in the sun. DD and I planted some of the beans that Alma gave us which will climb up the corn and we brought mulch for the chicken laying boxes; now i must clean out the chicken water! We sang a song for the missing hoe, until Nannee guessed that Baba had used it to mix concrete for the new front step and returned the hoe to the place where tools are supposed to be (not left in the garden as Nannee is want to do...ah, another photo opportunity, the new step!!
I was trying to explain to my friend on the phone last night that a march on DC to protest off shore deep water drilling would maybe not be as effective as Vietnam protests - unless we could muster enough local coast folk - as so much of the coast's economy is tied into the drilling. What I keep thinking is that a march on DC for clean water might be a better rally theme. Clean water with strong regulations on corporations and farmers and cities to keep our water from pollution (both drinking water and seas from which we harvest food). The habits of our nation NEED to change!

it was a good day for swing, climbing up and down all by herself...and then the river was delightful and nannee finally went swimming all by herself! crow coming closer to the house, i try to call or to mimic its call and coax it nearer. Reading CUTTING FOR STONE and loving it being set in Ethiopia!

Mondays with DD

Halcyon day, the clouds Barbapapa like or like perhaps ourselves after several years in space - losing bone, shrinking organs, blimps! we're looking at Baby baby, we're wondering about our coming in molar, we just took a picture of our shoes! we've read The Island of the Skog almost through, run with the rubber balls in the front yard, listened for the baby Phoebe's to peep, fed the chickens and the worms. It's lovely out, it might be time to sing - loudly.

Read THE LACUNA

Frida Kahlo like an electric sprite flints thru the novel along with a killer view of J. Edgar Hoover's America - so troubling to face how relevant to NOW this Kingsolver novel is.The ignorance of what communism is or for that matter the ignorance in this country of what democracy is or was, the frightening witch hunts of communist sympathizers or of anyone affiliated with communists like the name calling today.