I'll Try to Have More Days Like These

Giant Robot Destroys Town

Saturday, Wendy and I went to the Fremont Solstice Parade, which made me happy and thankful that I live in such a wonderful area. The parade is basically a blue state take on the First Ammendment...with carnival food. We had a blast. We especially liked the art cars, which were adjunct to the parade. My favorite part of the parade, though, was the giant robots (see above). I also really liked the painted nude people on bikes--especially the somewhat obese ones. It was so beautiful to see someone at expressing level of freedom. I think it inspired most of the people there. Well, the smart ones, any way. There were some hecklers standing behind me, but they were young, dumb, and from out of town. They'll come around.

Yesterday, Father's Day, became Go To The Mountain day for me. The idea about going to the mountain is to get away from your environment and get away from your influences. For me, that means no media. I didn't bring any books, just my little note pad. I went to Port Townsend, WA, which is just about an hour away.

It's just been beautiful today. My desk is next to the window, and I have a very filtered view of the water. Today was one of those days when you mark the day going by outside your window. Today was somewhere between pleasant and glorious.

Around 3:30, I took the dog with me to run some errands. Afterward, we stopped at the park and played fetch. On the way home, we went to Dock St. and played the swimming version of fetch (she swam, I didn't).

And then, when I got home, I sat down in the living room and listened to news on the radio while watching very small insects fly in and out of a box of late-afternoon sunlight. From my living room, they were tiny white glints of motion--just specks of light against the shadows of fir trees in shadow.

These little motes had zig-zag flight paths and would chase one another in downward spiral patterns, one right behind the other. It looks like confetti flowing down an invisible drain, except it's so much faster. I can't understand how they could follow so closely, unless it's some sort of pre-programmed dance. It's fascinating and beautiful.

I then listened to a poem on NPR called "Old Man Tom" by Ruth Forman that brought me to tears.