Ancient (Garden) History
I'm not writing this from the table on my back deck ... but I could be. It's where I spend a lot of time—sometimes reading, most times doing nothing. Just sitting there, being human.
I'm able to do this (i.e. nothing), because I know what the yard looked like before I moved in 8 years ago, and what I'm really doing (besides nothing) is just kinda savoring what's become of that gloomy dirt/weed patch. Something green and vital. Something that hums.
Yes, yes, I've done a lot of work. But now the garden runs itself, I swear. I am particularly proud of how much the bees love it in there. Those guys work hard—it feels good to make them happy. Also? There's still an excitement every time something comes into bloom. That's fun.
I don't think modern folks feel much of a bond with where they live. We travel too much, and we move all the time. But I was thinking today, when I came across a couple ancient house pics on my hard drive, that propagating my garden—it's how I've connected with my land, primordially speaking. Cool, huh?
Circa 2006, when pulling weeds was my life.
Spring 2007, when my mommy came to visit and helped me plant some starts.
Spring 2014—a horticultural bonanza.
How To Get Hitched In The Mountains
The truth? The truth is that we're all inextricable romantics given the right moment/situation. Even the cynics. Even the hard of heart. Given the right moment/situation, there we'll all be at some point with hands gripped over hearts, big tears being blinked away, et cetera.
Oddly enough, a wedding isn't always that moment/situation. But! The wedding I went to this weekend was.
I watched Tricia and Cairo get married in the old fashioned way—outside in the fresh air in front of all of their people under the high-country sun that cast long shadows in the late afternoon.
First, we all sat in wooden chairs and talked and laughed. Then, a quiet fell on the crowd. A wind whispering of fall set the aspen leaves clicking. Finally, out came Trish to the tune of a string band, looking, in her pale dress and veil, almost exactly like a flower. Right there in the meadow, both her and Cairo read some lines they’d written about each other—about magical first acquaintances and perfect matches, about holding each other up (most especially in tough times), about what exactly it feels like to be in love.
The rest of the night was a blur of Pimms and caramel cupcakes. And other things that cause dizziness the following morning but which are, at the time, consumed with the utmost noble intent of celebration.
Hooray for love!
Pretty Trish.
Griz, getting a snapshot of that rock!
This pic may not communicate it, but the dance floor = bumping, all night long.
Summer Truths
I made it! By which I mean, I managed to navigate the full mania of summer without injury, insult, or neurotic breakdown. I attended all the skate sessions and barbecues, I swam in all the rivers. In general, I tried to do EVERYTHING, because that's the spirit of summer.
But! As August softly ends like a feather floating to the ground, a quietness is settling over things around here.
Don't hold your hands over your ears and pretend (la, la, la!) that summer's not over. It is (almost), but that's okay.
A Skatepark Is Born
This one time I stopped everything in my life and built an indoor skatepark. This was way back in 2011, when I was young and starry eyed. If you know me, then you already know this happened—it's not like it's some breaking news. Still, time marches on, and you forget.
But! I paddled back into memory lane this week—looking through old photos and recollecting all about what a fun, tough, weird time that was.
(The above clip constitutes one of the only videos I've ever made in my life—disclaimers, and whatnot.)
Now, the reason for my remembrances: My dearest friend Tricia asked me to tell a few stories for Steller, this new, Instagram-y style iPhone app she works for.
For peeps of the creative disposition, Steller is hecka cool. Like Instagram, you can post photos and follow people and, importantly, you can "like" shit. But unlike Instagram, it's all about story telling—not just snapshots. It's like crafting a little zine each time you post. So fun!
Anyhoo, see below for my Commonwealth post. You can turn the pages by swiping, just like with those newfangled magazine apps.