THE DUST WILL WAIT

The drive between Reno, Nevada and Sacramento, California spans a beautiful pass through the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The rocks hang over the edges of cliffs, waiting for the winter freeze to loosen their hold, and summer’s heat to bust them loose to slide down to the freeway. Some of their precarious positions worried me. However, it was really other motorists that posed the perils on the last leg of our journey. Three of those drivers moved in and out of our company as we simultaneously viewed the sights and their poor driving exhibitions. Little Subaru took up residence in the left lane, maintaining the same speed as the car to its right, holding up both lanes of traffic. Ms. Continental abstained from cruise control, but kept her motor mouth engaged. She passed us going 90, and then braked abruptly and rode flush on the bumper of Little Subaru. She pulled into the right lane and tried to bully the other driver as well. (Earlier, she showed her true colors by pulling out from b...

Two hours into our road trip, a highway patrol passed us on a mountain curve. Three curves later we caught up with him before he even exited his car. It was early. I prayed that the driver was alive inside of there and not under the influence .The very first rest stop employed a congress of ravens. I took a picture so that Robin of Pensive would notice that they have a bump on their beaks. Whereas Crows are happy to congregate most anyway, including inside the city limits, Ravens prefer the country. Ravens can be as large as some hawks. When I encounter a Raven, I think of Edgar Allen Poe. Once upon a midnight dreary. Eastern Oregon. So much different than the green picturesque Oregon coast that Shelly Dupree speak s of with such longing and desire. I drove highway 95 (a two lane highway) from Ontario Oregon to Winnemucka, Nevada . There wasn't much between me and the open spaces except a few barbed wire fences. Once, after about a 20 miles straight stretch the road curved slightl...

Thank you Jammin' and Buttercup for my very special treat in the mail today.

The hubby's project this summer: Create a small pond next to the house and a creek that trickles beneath the bridge and into the larger pond. Build a deck next to the larger pond on which we can set a table and umbrella. Lay a cobblestone walk from the patio to the side of the house. The summer was busy and continues to stretch him in 100 ways. However, his goal is nearly accomplished. Just a few finishing touches. In the meantime I enjoy the little babbling brook, the water flora, and my coffee each morning.

TheOtherBear is hosting today and she's asking for an awful lot. She looks quite HOLY and we all know what she is wearing under the Robe. She has convinced me and I'm laying it all down, folks. I need forgiveness. ..................... I was fourteen. I was shy. (Oops, that’s another little white lie.) There were two wonderful things I was looking forward to that fall: The annual Fair in Puyallup , and my first year in high school. Like most kids heading into high school I'm sure I thought I was ALL THAT and more. My best friend moved to another town, but she was coming back to stay with me and go to THE FAIR. We had plans. Yeah.. the fair had scones with strawberry preserves, hamburgers that we ordered without onions, cotton candy, and snow cones. There were carnival rides and games. There were even rodeo events and display booths that could occupy us for hours. However, they didn't. CUZ...we were lookin' for guys. We KNEW they were lookin' for...

I suspected all along that they were out there. When I awake with the first sunbeams through the Maple trees, I sometimes hear the distant whistle of a teensy tea kettle somewhere in the honeysuckle. If I peak cautiously through the window shades, a flash of color disappears beneath the rosebush. Those leaves shape into fine little tubs to catch the spray from the sprinklers. Maybe the older ones enjoy a nice soak. The rest of them are familiar with the watering schedule and most likely take pleasure in a brisk but satisfying shower. While weeding beneath the Viburnum I hear them talking; I recognize the sound, but you might mistake it for crickets. My innocent smile denotes my pleasure in the cadence but does not alert them to my clever discernment. Sometimes it is frustrating to reach for what appears to be a perfect tomato, only to discover that they drilled into it during the night and hollowed out the ripened flesh. Nothing in my garde...

I've been busy and distracted - some bad distractions and some wonderful distractions. The unfortunate side effect no time to write or to water color. And it's going to get even busier for awhile. We plan on heading south soon to see our new grandson Dinkum. See his picture in previous post. Tonight as we ate dinner on the patio we enjoyed the hummingbirds. There were three or four of them buzzing around. We have several feeders close by. The light was fading fast. I took one photo using auto focus, but it was too dark. My camera can be adjusted to let in more light, but by the time I could find my glasses and the instructions it would have been midnight. So, I tried one with a flash. That little fellow was certainly surprised! Our water hyacinth bloomed for the very first time. It is beautiful. Curlymop came for a very short visit. She was beautiful, too.