Night

I eased out the door onto the front porch of this log house tonight, instantly surrounded by an intense cacophony of insect sounds reverberating through the canyon. Some bugs sang "chick-a-gum, chick-a-gum," others repeated "widget, widget, widget." It filled up my senses.

Fireflies sparked in the shadows, and I almost expected to see the sleek form of a mountain lion floating across the lawn, or to hear a bumbling black bear breaking branches in the brush. But nothing added to the background noises.

Last week a strange vocalization caught my attention. My sister and her dh also heard it early this morning. A seeking, searching loud and persistent domestic cat type of "maow" with a quivering suffix of "wub-wub-wub-wub." Never have I heard such a thing and I can't identify it on the Internet, unless it might have been an elusive Lynx. That would be a thrill!!!

A cool breeze riffled through the leaves, caressing my face. I rocked and gazed at a sky sprinkled with twinkling lights. One "stoplight star" directly in front of me blinked red/green/red/green. Minute by minute, the yellow thumbnail moon edged toward the heavily wooded ridge.

Numbness began to set in as I relaxed, I could have stayed outside for hours. Unfortunately, the children have to rise early for school and I'm part of the wake-up committee. Hoping for another night, another breeze, another moon...

Pretty Posies etc.

Stepping Out

On this relatively cool sunny morning I took my first solo bicycle ride in Tennessee. The rolling foothills, farm fields and surrounding mountain ranges are beautiful. It felt good to be active and I really enjoyed my time away.....
I've realized that five-year-old's, sometimes cute and cuddly, are also wiry and bony. My nephew can use his toes like a crowbar, or knees like a wrecking ball, in attempts to take over my resting space. A "good" night is when he only "goes diagonal" two or three times. He will have to sleep by himself on a cot. But I will miss that little hand patting my arm or clasping my fingers before he is fully awake. No wonder his mother is dreading this child's first day of school.....
Last night I envisioned an abstract quilt, which hasn't happened in a very long time. I had better make it up before I lose the creative spark, yes?