Sunday, September 2, 2018

September Upon Me

We have had 3 and 3/4 of an inch of rain since Thursday, hard tropical down pours with fierce bursts of wind. Reminding me of squalls on Lake Pontchartrain in our sail boat the Cap'n Flint. The river went from clear, perfect to mud tumultuous. Power was out for 20 hours. Not what anyone would have wished for Labor Day. But the rain is good. Tho my garden has gone to weeds with small stands of okra, seed balls of elephant garlic amidst the tall seedy lambs quarters and other not so delicious invasive species. I do manage to find greens and clover flowers for green smoothies. Watching US Open when rain doesn't disrupt. Picture of True, now 6; a delight, full of talk and dear devotion to his sis. 

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Been too long

Not sure where my impulse to be here has been - not found in my present mind. As if it hasn't been so long, but the date proves me wrong. Nothing to add to the state of the world. It is late summer and the wasps and yellow jackets are seeking home in my old house. The continent out here in farm land has been rolled. Big bales everywhere. The river is perfect.
In fact I am waiting another hour before heading down the creek - waiting for the sun to lessen in intensity. My forearm is still swollen from the third yellow jacket sting, on Sunday morning. I seem to have patched another tiny entrance last night. The buggers have made using my upstairs porch a dangerous situation unless at night. I have become agile with flyswatter and swifter (which works well killing the jackets buzzing at skylights). Somehow the jackets have found an exit from the upstairs nest into my downstairs kitchen. I have killed scores. I hated to kill them at first. I rescue wasps from the house. But there are too many of these small mean-stingers to rescue. This is war. 
Today after qigong class, I stopped by Fran's to pick up my stack of Flaccavento Town Hall in Riner postcards and chatted with Fran. Would love to see her at class, but I won't count on it! The first place I tried to coax into keeping a few cards, refused. But i lucked out at the second stop, Brugh Coffee on Roanoke rd! Delicious home roasted coffee - Kirk was there. They took a stack. Carol at the Toy store took some and Krogers will put a few on their staff bulletin board. I'm almost out. Bon! 


Thursday, April 19, 2018

New Wheels

It was auspicious that I had the Prius towed to Toyota dealership as it is next door to a very large used car lot. As it happened when I went to clean out my Prius, a young British saleswoman came to help me and to see the damage. We began to talk about cars and she happened to drive a Crosstrek. So before I left the dealership I had toured the lot and found two Crosstreks and put a deposit down to hold one! I showed my son pictures of the cars and asked him to join me on Monday to see the cars and to help me choose. I settled on buying the 2015 blue one which turned out to have white interior with leather seats like my Prius - only this vehicle has heated seats! And Bluetooth. It is an easy transition so far and I don't have to worry about scraping bottom driving up my road AND I can drive up to my son's house. Ah. I have to relinquish my righteous demeanor wrapped around driving a hybrid.

Big changes for My Birthday

Thunk



Out of the pitch of night 
no one saw it
a loud thunk
it wasn’t until I eased to the side of road
that we could see
chunk of deer wedged in hinge
of passenger door
we knew
and two of us hiked back
to where the large deer
lay, stretched
dead.

was it for us to be reminded
alive
we move on 
the shear suddenness
of passage
just beyond the steep bank
unseen

4/13/18
Mary North




Thursday, March 1, 2018

a small poem for March first

Ode to Poached eggs and toast


I do like a glass of wine
and I do like a square of dark chocolate
and I’d love an artichoke
or fresh papaya, but
what I do have -
fresh eggs
are awfully good
poached
on Dave’s Killer bread
toasted and buttered
the yoke oozing all over
and down my throat.



3/1/18

mn

Friday, February 16, 2018

What became of January

I left out January because in January I had flu, and the Arctic temperatures prompted a hibernation. It was so cold that the heat pump working all day could not raise the heat in house to 62. I slept and when necessary bundled up (3 hats, etc) to open and then close the chickens. Having to bring out the tea pot of boiling water to break up the ice in their water basin. Alma seems to have caught flu at nearly same time; she had the flu shot (which has proven nearly useless this year) while I did not (but I did have remedies which helped). Hardly went out for two weeks, just to avoid spreading flu to others. I couldn't visit Meghan as I couldn't risk giving her flu. This late fall she was diagnosed with 4th stage cancer of unknown origin, having ended up in ER with fluid surrounding heart. Meghan was just 60 last year and last year nursed Carol thru treatments for uterine cancer. Meghan wanted to fight her diagnosis as Carol had, the doctor ordered a chemo treatment which poisoned her nearly to death. Her legs swelled and oozed, she could hardly walk and the fluid began to fill her lungs quicker and quicker. She spent almost 2 weeks in the CCU in Roanoke, now diagnosed with CHF and 4th stage lung cancer. I went by to see her before I left for Dominican Republic, sensing I might not see her again. Carol took my note and eggs, but Meg was sleeping. She died on January 30, rode out on a giant blue moon.


Thursday, February 15, 2018

pictures from the DR

Thoughtful faces intent on Kindles!

The pool in heavy down pour. We had rain at night and during the day. But always the sun would show up in the day, warm. It is 70 degrees here in Virginia, and Baldwin says that it is only in the 70's in Samana. It has been freezing in Houston and in Ocean Springs this winter. So strange. I wish that more action would be taken by our public officials to prepare for climate change. It seems a stand off not dissimilar to the subject of gun control. We have a bunch of equivocating cowards in office. School shooting in Florida yesterday afternoon, 17 people dead, 12 injured. Shame. I am disgusted.

Pearl took this photo of True and me. A very happy Nanee down in the tropics. Need to be there more of the winter. Have to make it possible.

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Escape from Gray World to Beach World

For ten days from  January 24 to Groundhog day, happy trip to DR to stay in little house beside Baldwin and Mindy's rental near down town Las Terranes, Samana, DR.  A beautiful landscape, the little cottage to the right in this picture. It was cool enough that I only went into the pool once; Susan swam several days. The papaya and pineapple were heavenly. Large avocados. Plantain and yuca chips. El Presente cerveza en la playa. The beaches as always, beautiful.
Susan and I had a smooth trip with no hassles and no missed connections; and so much more fun to travel with friend than alone - sharing the anxiety diminishes it! It did rain quite often on the island, but hardly discouraged trips to beach. True was very sick the first several days, finally he rallied with the help of medicine for amoebic dysentery. But the time went too quickly; I hope I can arrange for 3 weeks next winter. I need to check to see how hard it would be to bring Mr. Lee - tho Alma loved having him and he seemed to enjoy his stay at her house. I have more pictures to post, though I am now posting on Instagram.  The colors, the light, the flora - the food! And how my skin drinks happily.