Hermits

All loose items from the kitchen and dining rooms were moved to the entryway. We can't even find the garbage cans.

The dining room is newly shampooed and looks inviting. Maybe a couple of sun salutations will inaugurate the move back.

Our first visitor sans dog arrives this evening. Wait, make that our first visitor in two years.

Thimk! (sic)

This morning Jim asked if I had toilet paper on the shopping list.
"That's affirmative."
 It reminded me of something that happened in Pennsylvania a few years ago. My spiritual teacher asked an unexpected question one evening as he prepared chai tea for us in his home. "What would you hate to run out of?"
I had walked with him from the main campus less than a quarter mile to his building. We removed our shoes, entered his home and he went directly to the cupboards for ingredients. I stood at the stove by his side watching him prepare tea. At the stove, he grated ginger into the mixture of milk, water and tea.
"What would you hate to run out of?" he asked.

Today, I can think of several clever uplifting answers such as:

energy

vitality

ambulation

creativity

clarity

certainty

friends

humor

togetherness

water

Instead of any lofty answer, I replied, "Toilet paper."
He was silent for a few moments and said nothing more about it.

I think I might have failed a test.

A Blue Day

Computer back from the shop, blazingly bright screen that won't go dim. Had to get a special download to save the eyes.
Today I am moving furniture, shampooing rugs, eliminating the dirty, wide and quiet spaces no longer occupied. Not more stuff in those spaces, but less. Everything is tinged with blue.

This is what made me laugh this morning. Two Dudes wearing blue.

17 Years, 5 Months, 17 Days

Daisy May Diega

April, 1995

September, 2012

She was a very good dog.

The Days Leading Up To This

The season of snow peas is long past. Jim burned the dried stalks in a little fire ceremony.

Then we burned hickory and mesquite incense in the little log cabin.

The days are still and crisp. The moment lasts forever.

I'll Find a Way

Computer shopping in Portland. Hee hee.

Uh Oh

Enforced break from the blogging world.

See you in a day or two or three or four.

Taking Flight

Today is the biennial flight review at the Seaplane Base, 3B5.

I will miss the Common Ground Country Fair again this year, drat.

We practiced flying last night. Steep turns, glassy water landings and near-stalls. Trust the instruments even if there are trust issues. Show the migrating birds who's boss. Don't forget to fly the effing airplane.

For Want of a Nail

Went to the Flight Standards District Office yesterday to renew my Certified Flight Instructor certificate. Paper work in order, ring the bell at the door to get in, sign in and receive a visitor's badge.

The 8710-1 form is in hand. I tried to print it at the lake but couldn't get the old printer to work with the new computer. Computer operating software too new for the old printer CD installer software. No updates online. So drove home. I don't need the second page of the form according to my course information. The FSDO says it needs both pages. So at the FSDO I hand print the information on a new two-sided form. Receive a temporary certificate, drive to the lake. Computer doesn't work. 

For Want of a Nail

For want of a nail the shoe was lost.  
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.  
For want of a horse the rider was lost.  
For want of a rider the message was lost.  
For want of a message the battle was lost.  
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.

Happy Autumn

10:49 EDT

Drifting

Still foggy-headed, but it's not sleep I need.

 Neither food nor opiates.

Not books to read.

Not exercise.

Maybe I'll just drift with the river to the sea.

Ahhh...

Nice to be home.

Big stretch to greet the day.

Back to Busy

Enroute to Denver International Airport

Dang! There are still stacks of papers that didn't sort themselves while I was away.
A frost warning for tonight flashes on the weather site. The grasshopper has been caught fiddling while the harvest waits. Time to put the fiddle away and go to work.

Hikus Interruptus

Started out before sunrise at Mt. Elbert trail head, 10K+ elevation. First time starting a hike with head lamps.

We hiked past a stream, some fences, up and up. The sun rose and it began to snow.

At tree line, Mt. Massive was in the clouds and the aspens beckoned.

Going up in freezing fog, 

turning around after howling winds and heavy snow,

and coming down.

No one made it to the summit yesterday morning. Maybe next time. And now I'm heading home.

Climbing

Off to Mt Elbert, 14,433 ft.

Top of Colorado

Heading for the hills and quaking yellow aspens.

Intend to climb highest peak in Colorado.

Slight chance of snow tomorrow.

Family Competition

The day dawned bright and cool, blue skies, another golfing kind of day.

This time another brother, my hiking buddy, will try to drive 200 yds and then 4-putt. Wishful thinking on my part. I love this golf course.

Miraculous

Golf Champion writes the blog today. Golf Champion did not break 50 and wore a down vest for the first two holes. Golf Champion drove around all afternoon with the competition, looking for a house in the country near Sunol, listening to stories of the past, finally arriving near the end of the world at a pretty little spot off Country Road 125. Getting here was like golfing with the same ball for nine holes, a miracle.

Paid in Full

It was raining when we drove by Chimney Rock yesterday for the traditional visit to the Beauty Salon. The straightened hair is curled, the hamburger eaten, chocolate milkshake drunk, and tributes paid up in full.

Today it is time for golf.

Time for the Rainy Day Fund

The drive from Denver showed the Sterling Reservoir low low low with white sand beaches. The South Platte River bed is without water and has green sage bushes growing at the bottom of the channel.

So this morning's surprise; it's raining and everyone is happy.

Except maybe this bunny, caught and blinded with a flash.

 

This could be the Watership Down bunny, Hrakaka.

Time Traveling

Off to the west today, leaving the cool fall air behind and landing in plus 90 degrees.

I will be entertaining myself by looking for magicians in the airports.

They are not that difficult to spot.

 See you soon.

The Maine Mountains

Just so it would not be such a let-down after completing the NH 4000 footers, I immediately opened the Maine Mountain Guide.

We climbed some of these many years ago when we hiked the 100 mile wilderness. That was when Hip Man was still a backpacker. He is toying with the idea again.

Of those not yet climbed, Katahdin, Baxter Peak looks and sounds the most appealing. We'll see.

No Agenda

Sometimes just sitting and staring is all I can do.