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I have books brewing in my head, three of them, and I started work again on my first novel, so I’m excited. I told Kelsea that each book would pay for one year of college. So I’d better get on with it. I had forgotten that when I am in writing mode, I lose track of everything else. I got lost walking down a city block today. Fortunately, I was holding MKL’s hand, so he kept me from getting run over or covered in paint from the workers on scaffolding.
Topsail Beach, North Carolina.
Quote of the day: “Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” — William Wordsworth
Daily gratitudes:
The man with the turquoise tennis shoes on the bench this morning
Swirls and spurts of creativity
Inspirations
Good hair days
Pink
No, not actual flames. We’ve seen enough of those in Colorado this year. These are flames of sunset, sparking through the clouds over the Intercoastal Waterway. There may be buildings in the way of our view of the Sound and its sunsets, but they have come to be old friends in our line of vision, and the end of the day would not be as lovely without them.
Topsail Beach, North Carolina.
Quote of the day: “You want proof there’s a God? Look outside, watch a sunset.” — Frank Peritti
Daily gratitudes:
Mr. Man snuggling and snuffling
Pork green chile so hot it makes me cry
Thunder
That I never get sick enough to be sick – just under the weather
Clothilde’s new little sidekick
One of our happy things to do on our summer visits to Steamboat Springs is to attend the PRCA Rodeo. It’s an outdoor arena, so if it’s been raining, it stadium is awesomely muddy. But still, everyone tries to get their eight!
Steamboat Springs, Colorado,
Quote of the day: “I plan on growing old much later in life, or maybe not at all.” — Patty Carey (Rodeo Rider, 1913)
Daily gratitudes:
Pretty evening clouds
My almost-better-than-sex soup
Having MKL home
Talks with Kender
That Lindsay Lohan got out of rehab today (which made Kelsea happy)
Philosophical conversations that skirt the edge of madness
She’s a she, not a he, and hence, no antlers. But I don’t care. It’s been a lifelong goal of mine to see a moose. To the extent that, as a child, my imaginary friend was a moose (named Bruce, no less). So on our return from Steamboat Springs, I was super excited when Kelsea and I entered the Moose County of Colorado, complete with Moose X-ing signs. It was dangerously pouring rain, when Kelsea swore she spied TWO of them out her window, in a copse of trees. We steered down a side road nearby hoping that I could catch a glimpse, but they, in their elusive mooseness, had vanished. I was glad she had seen them, but I was sorry for myself. She tried in vain to cheer me up by saying that really she was only 98% sure that they had actually been there, and not just a moose hallucination, as we have had previously. I was just bemoaning the fact that here I am, an animal shaman, for heaven’s sake, and I can’t even summon a moose, when there she was. I veered off the road so sharply that I almost hit a random pole and am surprised that she didn’t run away. But she didn’t. She calmly drank rainwater from a puddle, lifted her head and observed things in general, and casually trip-trapped into some aspens, thinking perhaps that they were an excellent disguise. I was so happy that I cried. Honestly, I wept with joy. I’m glad I got to share the experience with Kelsea.
(To give credit where credit is due, Kelsea took this shot. I was busy trying not to kill us.)
Highway 14, near Gould, Colorado.
Quote of the day: ““Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. ” — Henry David Thoreau
Daily gratitudes:
Flippy skirts
Seeing MKL after a few days absence which make the heart grow fonder
When work is a workout
Lisa’s chocolate chip cookies
Foggy mornings
I’ve been quiet, haven’t I? Sorry. Just pondering life. And working a lot. And trying to make Mr. Man feel at home. But I’m back now, and ready to share some images from the last roadtrip.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Quote of the Day: “It was amazing how you could get so far from where you’d planned, and yet find it was exactly were you needed to be.” — Sarah Dessen
Daily gratitudes:
A cooler day
Walking home from the bus
Thunder and lightning
Gardens
Simplicity
Mr. Man coming to greet me when I get home (so happy to have a cat again)
I was hoping to share pictures of our weekend in Steamboat Springs, but haven’t had a chance to download them yet. Suffice it to say, Kelsea and I had a wonderful time. It was filled with balloons, and mountain hurricanes, and new people, and pretty shops, and muddy rodeo riders, and trashy TV late night marathons, and crack pizza. AND A MOOSE.
So instead of pictures of all of those things, we will retun to a beloved spot: the sea. Enjoy!
White Bay, Jost van Dyke, British Virgin Islands.
Quote of the day: “All stories are love stories.” — Robert McLiam Wilson
Daily gratitudes:
That there’s a bus stop close enough for me to catch another bus when mine leaves early
Mr. Man snuggling with my feet
Watching one of my favorite movies from when I was five years old
Seafoam
Healing scars
Can you guess where we’re heading this weekend? Yup, up to Steamboat Springs for the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo (and the PRCA Rodeo). It’s super pre-storm windy here tonight, and Mr. Man is next to me on the bed. He’s not eating and not peeing, though he is drinking some, but that concerns me. It may just be that his gums are really sore from the dental work (and he did pee in the truck on the way home). I hate leaving him so soon. At any rate, the helpers will be keeping an eye on him, and I may ask one of them to get him some baby food. I remember doing that with my Boo when she was in her last month and couldn’t eat. He’s a darling. But with such a thick coat of fur, I’ll bet he’s looking forward to winter. Oh, and by the way, “Up we go” was how Kelsea used to ask to be picked up when she was a toddler.
Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Quote of the Day: “Books. Cats. Life is good.” — Edward Gorey
Daily gratitudes:
Getting things done
Thunder at night
Febreze
Breakfast for dinner
Cool showers
We had to turn around to go back to take a picture of this sign. MKL didn’t believe me when I told him what I had seen. I guess that’s common with UFOs.
At an intersection of two roads in northern New Mexico.
Quote of the day: “Keep calm and don’t forget the whipped cream” — Quinn Loftis
Daily gratitudes:
The gorgeous green in our lovely State right now
A surprise drop-in by Kelsea
That my cooking is improving
Iced green tea especially on hot days
Josh the Barista
Please say a prayer tonight for young Dylan Redwine, missing since November, whose body was found by searchers this week. May his soul fly free.
In between the mountains lie the valleys. Mother Nature, perhaps egged on by man (we don’t know yet), has thrown a tantrum and is burning our Black Forest, which is about 75 miles west of where this picture was taken. This shot was from last year; at this time last year, we were confronted with the vicious and seemingly relentless Waldo Canyon fire. Now we are facing that horror again. If you are not here, you might think “horror” is a rather strong word. You might feel a certain detached sympathy for what we’re experiencing here in Colorado. But as a now longtime resident, this is horrifying and tragic. It is painful to watch on the news, painful to know it is happening just down the highway. I hurt for the people who have lost their homes, and for those who are waiting to see if theirs will go up in flames. My heart breaks for the animals, wild and domesticated, who have fallen victim to fear and flames. This fire is a monster and it is not even close to giving up. Poor Colorado Springs has had enough in the last two years, and this is just the beginning of fire season. MKL and I had talked many times about looking for a house in Black Forest. After today, I am thinking again about living in the midst of the trees. Please include Colorado in your prayers tonight.
Park County, Colorado.
Quote of the Day: “Gaze into the fire, into the clouds, and as soon as the inner voices begin to speak..surrender to them.” — Hermann Hesse
Daily gratitudes:
Prayers
Tea
MKL
Firefighters
Coloradoan’s generosity of spirit
If you have never been to Garden of the Gods, you must go. It’s a lovely drive and an even better place to hike.
Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Quote of the day: “Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you’ve never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.” — Judith Thurman
Daily gratitudes:
Clearing the yard
Car shows
Hugs
Summer
Good company
Being with someone fun
