The Vortex

Back to the subject of our slow little home.

Mark and I have a big back closet in the guest room/library/office. This room is not a great loft, so how many issues can you find in that last sentence? Yes, it's a disaster. And beyond the frustration of climbing over things and constantly shuffling boxes and bins, I've started to lose things. Right now I walk back there and my teeth start to itch. So, I'd love to Cure it, but I think it's going to be a quick team clean & organize.

It's going to be interesting, with me as the tortoise and Mark as the hare in these situations. Okay, most situations. Hopefully we'll both be victorious.

Petaluma

We just got back from a fantastic week in Northern California. The weather was so great my toes only went numb once. And to be fair I'd gotten a little wild and pulled the flip flops out. Oops.

The light down here is so beautiful today that I'm remembering the day we spent in Petaluma (est. 1858). Petaluma seems to be the town that everyone's a little bit in love with, and I am no exception. I took a few photographs there that I like more than many I've taken in years. Like this, outside the knitting store:



And then we spotted this, just two doors down from the bar advertizing Liquor to Go.



And though I did not learn to knit or chisel marble, I'm hoping today will be a little more creative than my average Monday.

Neighbors

Yesterday was a funny sort of Saturday.

I stepped out into the sun, heading down to the park around noon. It was beautifully quiet, with that sort of idyllic weekend weather I'd been missing since the fires. I stopped on the stairs to soak it in, listening to the wind and the little peepers. Then suddenly I heard a loud nasal squawk, which seemed so much like a grumpy negation of what I'd been feeling. What a sourpuss neighbor, I thought, and continued down the stairs. But just as I got to the bottom, I half-glanced in the direction of the noise - and did a double-take.



Whoa! Is that a . . .



Giant Blue McCaw! She was beautiful, as you can see, and quiet as I went over to visit with her a bit. She seemed so comfortable, I thought she must be the chatterbox I hear happily every morning around ten. And indeed stayed put, just looking around, as several people drove past and parked right in front of her. Now, she's clearly a treasure and anyone who knows me would have been very surprised to see me walk away from a pet out on the loose. But I know nil about birds and, um, take a look at that beak again. Yeah.

I headed upstairs to make a few FOUND postings online, and kept an eye on her from the library. But then another surprise. Another neighbor showed up. One whom I could not have previously described as sweet or friendly. Bird wasn't hers, but Bird loved her. Loved Her.
Up her arm she hopped and happily snuggled as she was taken inside. A few minutes later, Mark had arrived in time to be caught up and watch as her parents were led into the complex. Turns our one of their neighbors had seen her heading our way. Mark went down to meet Miss Lily (as it turned out) and we both heard her joyfully squawk it up as she saw her people.



Goodbye Lily, thanks for visiting us!