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I sat in the middle of a forest today and I could swear that not another soul has ever sat there before me. I cruised down a back road so remote that the leaves hadn't bothered to change color until they heard me comin' round the bend. I watched as the gas station's sign flashed it's price per gallon...4 cents less that the moments before. According to some dictionary definitions, Columbus and I have discovered places. According to other definitions, neither of us discovered anything, because we weren't FIRST... time, place or thing seen or realized.
It always pissed me off that I was taught Columbus "discovered" America. For some reason though I never bought in to the whole story, at least not the way it was still being presented in the textbooks of the early 70s, but it took years for anyone to offer the truer, more accurate version, which once surfaced subsided my resentment somewhat.
I never doubted his importance or mission, or that he sailed the ocean blue in 1492 aboard the Santa Maria along with two other ships, Pinta and Nina, which were no doubt full of men, supplies and Spanish whatnot in order to "discover" a new passage to India. But no one could or would ever explain the hypocrisy of claiming discovery of an inhabited land or for an existing idea. The question I posed repeatedly to get someone to admit the truth to me was this - If I "discovered" a 5 dollar bill on the kitchen table would it be mine to claim without repercussion? The answer varied somewhat, depending on who was "schooling" me, but basically I was assured that my discovery and Columbus' were two completely different things. I begged to differ, but it got me nowhere closer to a new passage to India than Columbus!
Summer is pretty much over...the leaves are beginning to turn colors, the windows have been shut day & night for the past 12 days or so, the garden is no longer producing, the neighbors have their blow-up/light-up ghost/pumpkin display in place, and I had to don scarf & gloves to ride the last 2 times out. Fall clean up is well under way - so far I got all of the tomato cages down, the summer plants pulled and the spring bulbs planted in the garden; had the oil and fluids changed in the four-wheeled vehicle, even filled it up with gas...first time since the end of March!! Took all of the big quilts to the cleaners for freshening and laundered all the curtains and throw rugs. Still need to wash a few outside windows, which is an ultimate waste of time because our gravel driveway dust tends to end up blocking my view within days anyway...I'll do it just the same. Looking forward to our family's "event of the season" this weekend, my sister's wedding!! Everyone will be home, so of course I'm cooking, cleaning and even doing some baking just in case a hunger pang should arise! I'll post some pix on Flickr as they come in.
Happy Autumn Days & Nights to All ~
A few sights from the week
It's official...we are going to have to change our affectionate name for the Martin family's home from "the Ranch" to "the Fat Farm", because there was so much food for Saturday's family/friends pig roast that we had to go back Sunday morning to eat more food before properly cleaning up the party site!
Everything was all SO delicious...cheese & sausage platters, custom smoked salmon, fresh garden veggie trays, dips, chips, crackers, candies, grilled sweet corn, and homemade sauerkraut, baked beans, stuffing, pasta salads, potato salads, fruit salads, baked goods, tortes, plus pie and cookies too - never mind the bar & beer truck!!
There was a magic trick that involved a pickup truck and a fire pit, which was our cue to head for home, but other than that a delightful time was had by all :D
For future reference, a near 200-lb pig and trimmings is enough food to feed a village of 200 and too much for a party of 75. No worries though, nothing went to waste and it has been duly noted going forward that A.) Cut back on portions, or B.) Invite more people, strangers if we have to, to the next bash. ~
...not good news, but fact.
Time is ticking - summertime is nearing its end...I know this for sure because we closed the pool yesterday - even though its clear, clean water was so pretty and soothing to look at, it became too cold over the past 2 weeks to enjoy actually diving into. And the garden, although not quite done producing, is looking slightly pitiful, with browning leaves and spindly tomato vines barley hanging on to their life source.
The days are still long and warm enough to hop on the bike and ride with abandon; the scenery as beautiful and vivid as ever - a tad less green though, a bit more yellow and golden. Because of my camera, I made new friends along the road this week - two of them are horses!
A pig roast today on the Martin ranch later today, which will be a good time; no matter what's going on at the Martin ranch, it turns into a story to share! I'm making a garden/pasta salad to take along, if I don't sample it to death before its time to leave!
Today marks the 7th anniversary of what has become known around the globe as simply 9.11.
Thinking of that unforgettable, inconceivably terrifying day happens often, not just on its anniversary, not just when a self-serving politician makes a hard-to-believe claim of policy progress since 2001, and not just when the evening news announces the loss of innocent life in the name of law & order, but always when I see our glorious flag swaying in Mother Nature's breezes on the porches and poles of homes and businesses across this country. It is always then that I am reminded of a nation of heartbroken people joining together to right themselves after receiving that fatal blow to our beloved and accustomed sense of security.
Our visit with my Future Riding Partner was all too brief, but oh, so enjoyable!!!
She and her chauffeur, daughter B, arrived just in time for a family favorite, Southwest casserole - tortilla chip crust layered with beef, chilies, sour cream, enchilada sauce, onions and tons of cheese, along with garden fresh veggies marinated in my secret sauce - all so yummy! And, of course, a side of delectable baby food for our precious little toothless one.
It was a long 7 hour ride for the two of them, so we planned to just chill out, catch up and see first hand baby's latest achievements - crawling in a fast forward motion was the absolute highlight!
Daughter D and a friend traveled a bit to witness her relatively new niece's progress and we spent Sunday being totally entertained, awed and amazed! Baby is VERY alert, comical, strong, fast, neat (as in clean), curious and kissable (we smooched her for everyone we know at least 1,000 times!) and loves things that move, that shine, that make noise, that fit into her mouth, that involve water or anything with texture.
Her little peanut head practically spins off as she attempts to take in all around her - the slightest sound or movement and she's on it!! By the size of her thighs, cheeks and torso, it appears that she hasn't met anything she won't eat - from fuzzy baby biscuits and sauerkraut juice to flower tops for example! She talks and giggles often, sometimes when you least expect it, and growls like a bear on command (actually, I think it's a motorcycle thing)!! She is so fast on her knees that occasionally an elbow will give out, but she keeps going!! We're convinced that crawling could be the next new Olympic sport! She readies herself for sleep by pulling a blanket partially over her face or by clutching a soft toy under her chin, but forgoes the ritual when Grampa rocks her. She wakes up noiselessly, full of smiles & hugs and ready for anything all over again.
We wish she lived closer, at least next door!!! ~
...the arrival of my future riding partner and I feel slightly manic, so I'm taking a brief pause.
It isn't like there was a ton to do - the house, for the most part, is always clean, at least odor & lump free and presentable. Suddenly, late this morning, I decided major appliances needed to be dusted under and furniture orifices required vacuuming - this development was so unnecessary, not because the appliances and furniture couldn't have used a bit of attention, but next week, or next month would have been soon enough; why today? Roger joked about rigging F.R.P.'s 7-1/2 month old hands and knees for dusting the hardwood floors - I was all for it, so why did I spend 2 hours on mine??
Then there's the food thing...always more than enough of it in and around our house, but I planned to pick up Thai food for tonight any way - my daughter (F.R.P.'s brave & daring, long distance chauffeur) has been craving Burmese food since her last visit to San Francisco and Thai is as close to it as it gets in this neck of the woods. So why in the hell did I chop, slice, dice, brown, marinate and create an entire menu for 20 while making up things to clean???
Am I worried that my 7-1/2 month old Granddaughter will leave here with a bad impression? She's visited before and didn't complain. Or am I concerned that my daughter would freak out to see her baby's obvious knee prints in hardwood or worse yet, permanent stains on her knees? For a true "clean" test, we could confine her to the white carpeted areas of the house, but confinement is no fun.
Funny thing is that nobody is even going to know that I spent half of a perfectly good, end of the summer season riding day doing chores I didn't have to do, because in the end, the house looks exactly like it did when I woke up this morning with a few more things to eat in the fridge!!! ~
