Unpacking

Evelyn: It was early morning, and I figured between running off to work and getting home, I would quickly unpack before sleep. Late night undoing of my travel gear: happy hat, day purse, funky pens, favorite skirt, and strategic plan for Wilbur... I think they are expecting me back.

(PS. If Monica doesn't send me a picture tonight... I will be posting my own stuff (5-29-2012))

Reminants

Evelyn: It is our last day together. Monica and I get up early in the morning to soak, quiet secret chatter in the silent flumes amidst soft pleas to the universe to let me stay longer. It feels really hard to leave Monica, knowing how challenging things have been and how much I can offer, if there was time. As we put my bags in the car, heading out to Sacramento, we stop by the sacred sage on the property and I pick a sprig to follow me home. I long to stay, and I draw in the aroma while sitting in the airport, a little piece of Wilbur in my pocket.

Reptilian Beauty

Evelyn: I only have a few days left, and we go for a hike in the late afternoon to the top of a rocky, grassy hillside. The flowers are astounding, and sometimes the smallest ones the most amazing under the lens.

Fluming

Evelyn: Monica and I got up early to spend some time in the flumes. The morning sun slowly burned off the steam. The mornings here are nippy, and the flumes hot and relaxing. The logo for Wilbur are a pair of feet on the edge of the flumes, and since we were the only two, other than Oscar who was cleaning down below, we took some amazing pictures of the flumes under the morning light. I have been joking that I have spent so much time in the flumes I smell a bit like a cross between an old egg and hippie dust.

Start & End

Evelyn: I ended my day with a small glass of white wine and dinner with Monica & Michael. Michael made his fabulous buttery popcorn for dessert. I get lost for a moment in the colors of the wine and the way light hits it.

Impossible Challenges

Evelyn: I had a portion of the day to myself, and I took the opportunity to hike and sunbathe. My hike led me up the "power trail" to a little grassy knoll at the top. The poppies are everywhere... and again, my camera captures a tiny beetle covered in pollen, making his way back out. I feel a bit like him, but shaking off the pollen of my life right now.

Fearless Warrior

Evelyn: Monica and Michael's little home have some ornamental decorations hidden in fun places. I loved opening the cabinet for dishes to find this bold reminder...

Medicine Wheel

Evelyn: Monica and I took a hike up a mining trail, strewn with artifacts from the old mining days in Wilbur. As we hiked up the hills, Monica reported that there was a medicine wheel somewhere up there that she and Michael had yet to find. My eyes caught a glimpse of a dream catcher as I wandered from the trail, and to our delight we found the medicine circle. Wilbur is stunning, full of flowers and trails, and little stacks of rocks that people have gotten creative with.

Monique

Evelyn: Before we headed out of town the next morning we had to stop for "clover" coffee which was, by far, one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had. Later, we made our way to Davis for "supplies" and explored the shops. They were having some "picnic day" type event at the college, which one Gelato shop described as an excuse for "wanton drunkenness and partying" refusing us a second taste. Apparently drunk college students come into the shop and their second or third taste results in a barf-fest... so their policy on Picnic day is one taste per customer. However, I applied my super-powers and we managed to get a second taste of something so we were well educated on the flavor to pick.

Fox & the Goose

Evelyn: Monica and I had our first morning together in Sacramento. We stopped at the Fox & the Goose Pub, which used to be an old warehouse. The decor was fun, and the breakfast really delightful! In fact, it was huge, and healthy, and full of unexpected yumminess... so that I was quite content to shop until we dropped.

Investigation Work

Evelyn: I have a layover in Denver International Airport. I have 3 hours to kill and decide to lug my stuff down to different areas and do some investigative work. Seems this airport is the source of dozens of conspiracy theories about the New World Order, and the Mayan end of the world, the emergence of a new society, chemical warfare. It goes on and on. In the center of terminal C I find a huge representation of the ruins of a Mayan society - or the secret map to the underground city built on top of the Denver airport?

What it Represents...

Evelyn: My friend Ed is taking me to the airport. He is staying with Justin for part of the week, and I am packed and ready. I hand him a key to the house. I had a tetanus shot a few days back (Gizmo bit me in his glee over playing) and I had no idea it would render so much distress in my body. I've spent most of the day in bed, or on the couch, every joint aching, my shoulder a swollen mass... and yet eager to head on my way.

Happy Birthday

Evelyn: It is Monica's birthday, and at the Gulfport Swing, Katy's friends & Family have brought Katy a cake. I think of Monica living among a new community of people, and wonder how she celebrates. I think of her all day - all the things I love about her... and I am eager for the 20th when I fly out to see her.

Stretched

Evelyn: It is Katy's birthday, and we meet at a different venue for some live swing-blues and dance. The place serves as an events facility and art gallery. I love the way it is lit, creating a sense of intimacy.

Growth

Evelyn: This weekend was particularly difficult for me, a push to expand and heal some untouched memories. I feel exhausted, and still somewhat unanchored to my body, a bit shaky, and full of processing. Getting back into my being, I find I am drawn to nature as an element of connection.

(On behalf of Monica) I recently (in late April seeing that we are behind in our postings) visited Monica at Wilbur Hotsprings, and spent a week of healing and sisterly support. Monica & Michael's current nest (due to be moved again) is on a hillside filled with Poppies. It is one of the loveliest parts of the walk down to the hotel, that 40 foot skip down a wave of yellow poppies whose heads open when the sun is brightest, and who tuck themselves away at dusk.

Angles

Evelyn: Gizmo is always happy to see us. It doesn't matter how late, he still musters up the playful energy to engage us. I see his reign of terror scattered on the floor, and his stretched waggy-tailed pleasure as he rolls through the piles of fluff he leaves behind. It is a fun angle.

Nesting

Evelyn: Our first long day at P3, and we get home pretty late. Gizmo is up watching TV and curls into Justin's lap... getting cozy since no one is making a move to get to bed. I love how Gizmo nests in our laps, between our legs or squashed between the chair and our body.

Blossoms & Sunlight

Evelyn: An late afternoon drive, and I am always taken by the sun making itself known despite the clouds and obstructions.

Curves & Squares

Evelyn: We have an upcoming P3 Weekend, and my days are a bit longer so I can get moving early on a Friday. Justin is doing the usual after study; cubing and discussions on forums. I sneak in - because all the cubes scattered across his desk always look interesting whether solved or not.

Late Night SNAP

Evelyn:  My new haircut is growing on me... and I am tired and ready for something to move... counting my days to California...

A Simple Episode

Monica: A simple breakfast of granola and sliced pears with almond milk.

Evelyn: Betty Fox at Skippers Roadhouse in Tampa... Blues dancing under the stars and trees. It seems I am slowly making company with the "younger" crowd of blues/swing dancers, and finding ease in my own body - expressing and playing in new ways. The venue was pretty "junkyard" and packed with listeners of every age and interest. I loved it... still haven't tried the food.

Feather Light

Monica: This feather fluttered out of my journal today and I don't know what bird it belongs to or even where I found it. It seemed fitting to place it in the hand of Buddha as an offering to remind me of the lightness I need to keep in my life to counterbalance the weight of work and responsibility.

Evelyn: It is one of those last minute nights... closing at largo and waiting for the instructor to emerge and get ready to go. I love the little lamps that illuminate the front desk. Somehow they remind to be playful - even though there is little playfulness in them... 

Afternoon Discovery

Monica: Sunday has become our hiking day, the day to explore some of the miles of beauty that surround us. We discovered an old dam a couple of miles away, surrounded by a large meadow and a view of the valley below.

Evelyn: I took a Jag ride with Pito and we landed ourselves at Jeremiah's for a meal. We found an old friend of mine gathered with a slew of her pup's waiting in the carriage for morsels.

College Towns

Monica: We've been driving to Davis to buy our groceries. It's about 80 minutes away from home and worth the drive for the available organic produce, Trader Joe's, art house movie theater, and diverse restaurants. We discovered these artfully-decorated bikes on the street outside a barber shop. I love college towns.

Wooly Lambs & White Flowers

Monica: We took the afternoon off to run some errands in town and I remembered that today was Friday and the farm stand would be open at Full Belly Farm. The sound of bleating sheep greeted us when we arrived. We learned that the farm is one of the biggest and best suppliers of organic produce to the Bay Area. They raise their own chickens, sheep, goats, and cows, as well as grow fruit and nut trees, produce their own honey, flour, and wool, and sell fresh milk and eggs. We strolled around the farm for awhile and by far, my favorite part, was visiting the wooly little lambs chasing each other around the base of an oak tree.

Evelyn: Walking out of work there are often piles of leaves gathered by the wind along the edge of the building. My attention was caught by these flowers mixed in with the brown leaves. Someones costume must have dropped a few faux flowers...

Evening Rituals

Evelyn: My dancing partner, Ed, and I couldn't quite time getting to a dance event after work as usual, so he invited me to the Largo Community Playground to dance, instead, on the play equipment. The summer is slowly creeping in on us, but the evenings still tolerable. And aside from dancing, there were spurts of jungle-gym climbs, avoidance of hot lava as we balanced and jumped from place to place, and a few dives down the slides. The park is lovely, and it was a good change from the everyday "grown-up."

Monica: It's a ritual on some evenings, Michael making the popcorn before we snuggle up together on the couch to watch a movie. He has a particular method which includes melting a whole stick of butter (we don't use it all!) in the little green "butter melter" I found at an antique shop in Tucson. While the butter melts, he heats the oil for the popcorn, then tosses the kernels in at the right time and cranks the handle of the popcorn maker just so until the batch is perfectly popped. He drizzles the butter over the popcorn and shakes just the right amount of salt over it all while smacking my hand away from stealing a few bites.

Moonsets & New Attempts

Monica: On my way home from work, I saw the waxing moon rising above the trees on the ridge behind our little home. I've been so focused on absorbing information, multi-tasking, and trying not to feel overwhelmed that I've been completely disconnected from the beauty that surrounds me when I step out of whatever building I happen to be in. In these moments, I miss my mother and the long walks we would be taking together.

Evelyn: During my photo journeys at the college I watched as a student prepared to make her first attempt at drawing blood. The learning processes was like fireworks, as her classmates looked on, anticipating their first pokes as well. Then, as the needle neared, and she got more focused, I watched as everyone leaned in, beautifully, like a flower, to watch, bated breath, the attempt. This is why I love the classroom and learning.

What We Do

Evelyn: I have been spending some time in the classrooms taking pictures for a poster our college needs for the ribbon cutting ceremony. I have enjoyed watching what the students do.

Monica: After a long day at work, I come home in the dark and realize the day has passed without my camera seeing the light. So I aim for the Buddha I placed at the end of the living room just the other day when I needed grounding a little peace. I had purposefully driven out to the storage shed where most of our possessions live to find him, released him from the crooked prison of boxes surrounding him, and brought him home.

Caught

Evelyn: It was one of those late working days... one of those late nights to catch up on all the rest of my life that isn't work related. This was the only light on downstairs, illuminating the stacks.

Monica: Walking to work this morning, I passed what appeared to be an odd-shaped stick in the parking area. Upon closer inspection, I saw it was a salamander, encrusted with frost and apparently frozen in place on the gravel. I was able to get right up next to him for a little photo shoot. The poor thing got caught outside on a cold night and hadn't quite thawed out yet.

Guest Chefs

Monica: It was Guest Chef Weekend at Wilbur and the chef brought bundles of beautiful flowers to decorate the dining room tables. My favorites were these red and yellow tulips with fringed tips, bold and cheerful.

Evelyn:  Gizmo joined us for lunch before Austin hitched a ride with my dad back to Orlando. He sat close by, just in case I needed any help with my lunch. I loved how he watched to water and birds off the deck of the pub on the water.