The Road

I watched this the other night. I'm not sure it should've been made into a movie, but I'm still thinking about that. The book, written by Cormac McCarthy, was dark genius, and it has a honored place in my library. Not something I'd really like to read again, mind you know—too bleak and exposing too much savage about human nature. So I was in no hurry to see the movie. I knew I'd get around to it eventually, but not in any rush to revisit the subject of the apocalypse. But anyway, it's quite true to the book. I don't know, though, you miss out on the lyric beauty of the the words, how it's a long poem that spills over the pages and you want to rush ahead but at the same time you have to stop and savor certain lines due to their inescapable perfection. Anyway, yeah, I'm still thinking about it all, but like I said, I watched it. Have you?

summer vacation

Hiya. Can’t talk long. On a shaky wireless connection at the Denver Airport. Just thought I’d say something quick about  my week in Colorado.  Partly for summer vacation in the high country.  Partly as moral support for my big sister’s art show. It was all sun burns, 5 p.m. cocktails, no showers,  thunderstorms,  and marvelous  fresh food—which, as it turns out, is a combo I’m gonna be going for all summer.

Cool nights follow afternoon boomers.

My mom's roast potatoes.

Some of sister Melissa's paintings. Smoldering, no?

And here she is, the lady of the hour...

Stacie was there, too, just like the good ol' days!

They have these all over town. My sister dropped by to fill her "prescription." I had to stay in the car.

My parents are the masters of urban gardening. They have an entire farm on their side of a half-acre duplex lot.

The greenhouse, plus shade potato and lettuce gardens.

Farmers market goodness...

give or take

So it’s summer, give or take. We went swimming for the first time, give or take. The water’s pretty icy, so it’s more of a quick dip, exactly in and out, cold knives stabbing you everywhere ... then back to the towel to roast some more.

Went to see Mimicking Birds play at Mississippi Studios on Saturday. Lance went to high school with these fellows. Have you heard them? A lovely slow burn.

And lots of just enjoying the lazy afternoons. Watering the garden. Watching the peas and collards grow. Pouring a big glass of something and, “toasting the gods and letting the light fall.”

skate anything

This Monday was Go Skateboarding Day. We went skateboarding. We didn’t sell anything, buy anything, or process anything. We didn’t sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. We just went skateboarding.

Warm up zoo bomb. Downtown rampage. Mini-west Linn afternoon. Backyard mini ramp jam. It was a long day and these old knees are a’feelin it.

A small tribute to Say Anything up there, for all you John Cusack fans out there...

honeymoon

I'm celebrating the longest day of the year today. Sunrise: 5:11. Sunset: 9:10. That's for us folks up in the north country, anyway. A cool tidbit about the term "honeymoon": pagans called the midsummer moon the honeymoon because of all the fermented honey mead they drank during summer solstice wedding festivities. So there you have it. Love. And the moon. They are linked, you know.

A bunch of pagans at Mark's birthday BBQ. A bit of a dude-BQ.

Hood River on Sunday. Yes. The sun was shining.

I always feel like I'm way higher in the air on these and looking way cooler. And then, there it is—the truth.