Travel dreams?

I was going to tell you about this pretty crazy, very detailed dream I had last night where, in order to save fuels and restore the pristine places in the world, including Old World and other ancient cities that are cluttered with tourists obscuring everything, along with leaving their droppings, that will never appear as they did only 50 years ago, the Planners that Be had come up with a drug you could take. You'd buy a plane ticket to where ever, take this pill and dream/experience your itinerary. You'd pay for hikes and hotels, keeping everyone employed, but it wouldn't be anything except the programmed inside of your head.

Well, I was going to tell you that dream but I know some people really don't like hearing other people's dreams, so I won't do that. Instead, because soon we are leaving for camping, sans drug induced realities, I'll give you the quick view of my morning here, not throwing in the laundry. But if you could fold it for me, I'd appreciate it!

This is the other view I see when I wake up, tree continents drifted apart. The blue is achingly blue.

Tomato blossoms at first light

Where's that acorn?

 Sweet (and deadly) peas grabbing the sun

I swear this is not photoshopped...it is just insanely red, white and green

 Now, since no one showed up to fold my laundry, I'm off. We've been given a hunk of bear meat to eat at Bear Harbor, hopefully propitiating the bear gods. Camera batteries charged up in more hopes of elk sightings and general all out mind/soul lifting beauty. What else? Must be something else. I'm sure I'll figure it out when we're wayyyyyyy out there.

Free range Friday is truly going free range today, back with the results later.

Have a just plain fun Friday! Do something fitting.

Summer River Fun

Opening presents

A 6 year old's birthday party was enough of an excuse to get down to the river. Especially because he happens to be a 6 year old I like a lot. And his name is Sammy. What's better than a new buddy you really like named Sammy?

So along with all the relatives - grandmas and grandpas and uncles and aunts and cousins, we came along to play in the water, eat good food and watch Candle Wish Cake Time. A good day (well, there was that heart stopping moment when my son jumped off a once upon a time bridge edge into the river...why can a 32 year old man make a mother's heart stop as if he were 6?), a very good time. And those salmon roll ups were amazing, Audrey!!! Yes, that would be fresh caught, wild salmon...

 Nesta checking out the scene before her boy jumps

 There he goes!

 Ok, I can breathe again

 I was thinking about Gus, how I didn't know him as a child, 

but I could imagine him, with his love of the water, doing these things

 Vrai's first jump

 Surfboards and snorkels on the river

 A little impromptu music - there is a lot of homegrown music out here

 Grandma Janet, starting 'em young

 Another jumping boy

 Sammy making his wish...lucky guy, two cakes! two wishes!

End of the day...

'
It's the little things that make the big things. Don't forget it!

Have a tenderfoot Thursday. Do something teachable.

Dedicated to Gus

I learned, right before leaving for the music festival on Friday, about Gus; that he was in a coma, in the final stages of Hodgkins disease. I had no idea...

Knowing there is nothing to do or say or even hope for, except a miracle unexpected, it made going off for a weekend of fun a strange, strange feeling. When we got there, my son hugged me and said "Let's dedicate this weekend to your buddy Gus." It was the totally right thing to say and do, because if anything, Gus, along with his many friends, loved a party.

 (My photos of Gus are at home on the external hd. I think Peri might have taken this one, one of my favorites. You can find more photos on his facebook page.


And so we did.

Lisa's booth - glass work, metal work, art, clothing and hot sauce!

 One of many princesses

Vrai with the infamous marshmallow gun

Probably my favorite of many campers

The new and the old

Great tiny cabins on trailers

Kid fun

Some serious dreads

Light show

For Lewis

Just one of so many excellent bands - Zero

Hoopin' to the music

The second stage was set in front of this huge redwood

Bagpipe with armpit bellows - really nice sound

Bubble joy

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Tents everywhere

Hee Haw (the organizer and producer), Mary and Elijah

Ryan in the booth at night

Lights on the pines

When the full moon came out of the clouds

The music went from 10 a.m. Friday to dawn Sunday

Cozied up while a really good version of Hendrix's Star Spangled Banner played

Hoola Hoop Cowgirl

At one point, one of the bands opened a song by saying, 'This is for any of you who have lost someone in the last year or so...'. Like attractants to a revival altar, one by one some walked up to the front, joined together in unspoken shared loss. Yes, I did and yes, I cried. It was very soft and very gentle and very good.

Gus passed yesterday. What to say that isn't said already? Farewell, mi amigo.