Up and Over

We visited Neah Bay a few weeks ago, as a last-ditch effort to see something good this Summer.  The thick marine layer obstructed most of the view and I felt a little silly driving all that way.  But, the car conversation was worth it and I am happy to know another corner of Washington.

Up there, the highway hugs the coast and curves along the rocks.  The radio and cell phone flips back and forth between US and Canadian signals.  It is, for the most part, just you and your passenger existing in that space.  The remoteness is daunting.  Made worse by the fog.

I don't know if we will go back.  We can't exactly call ahead and ask how the view will be that day.  Still, it is all part of the great state I love, and therefore worthy of a few quick paragraphs.

Fall Resolutions

This is going to be one hell of an October.

I should just stop there because there is nothing more to say.  It has been shared before about my beliefs about the Fall season being more rejuvenating than January 1st.  This is the time of the year to promote change.  Kids go back to school and routines are maintained again.  Fashion magazines are three inches thick because this season is the most exciting of the year.  Screw January.  Cold, boring, with a post-holiday tinsel hangover.  You'll set yourself up for failure every time in January.

But Fall.  Fall is where it's at.

October is going to be one hell of an October for many reasons.

First, its full-blown Fall-- (insert adjective to make Fall an adjective).

Our anniversary is in October.

I literally grew pumpkins this year.  They're on the front porch, including the one the yellow dog picked prematurely.

After ten months, my mother-in-law is moving out and into her own place, across town.

Which means I'll be able to do whatever I want in my own house.

In four days, I'm travelling to Orcas for Write: Doe Bay.  And shit, I'm nervous.


I'm going to over-hype October because I have a feeling it will be well deserved.  Stay tuned.

A Week of Blogging: Summer too

Neighbors pick blackberries at night.

The island empties. 

Calm water. 

Puppies wrestle in bed--the sun already set. 

Shorts and long-sleeves. 

Green tomatoes. 

Almost orange pumpkins. 

Clean, store, nest. 

Last minute barefoot treks on the grass. 

Frisbee and bubbles put away. 

Settling into new routines. 

Nothing really happened this year, except everything. 

Ready for change. 

So long, Sweet Summer. 

A Week of Blogging: Better

I hightailed it upstairs at 730 tonight, beat from a long day of work. I accomplished everything I needed to today, so it was just fine to crawl into bed before the sun set. 

I started a new job this week but am holding onto my old one because I love it there. I'll pop in when needed and when I need it too. Working like this makes me feel strong. It's exhilarating to be free from the obligation of school and more able to contribute. I like the routine and knowing what the days will look like. However, my new job allows me to be independent and creative. I am very lucky right now. 

This is my favorite time of year. New everything. Screw you Jan 1st. It starts now. I want to be really careful with the decisions I make from now on. I want to take my time and look for quality, whether it is a new shirt or relationship. Big or small, I have the opportunity to focus on what I want now that the stress of this last year is over. 

And I am firmly sticking with my decision to go to bed early. 

A Week of Blogging: Ellie

Day 2.

We knew right away we would need another dog. She would never be replaced, that would be impossible. But the thought of Maggie with no buddy was unbearable, so we began our search. At first it was frustrating-- dead ends and scam artists. I would get back in the car on the ride home and cry because there was only one dog I wanted and she was gone. 

Then we visited a house on a little farm, with golden sunshine streaming through the trees. The big dogs waved their tales in unison. The owner stated this one was small, and she was right. But she was also attentive and sensitive. And well, she made things a bit better. 

We named her Ellie. 

She is little but mighty. Her puppy smell is strong and her ears are soft. She has a nearly silent breathy sound when she's excited and about to pounce. Her obsession with food rivals the other two. I mean, lord she is crazy about it.  She follows me everywhere and I have stepped on her a lot. 

Maggie is unsure and never dominant. It's painful to watch her find her new place. K says this new puppy will learn all the things Maggie learned from Lilly. We will see Lilly in Maggie. It will come full circle.  

Life is so different at the end of the Summer than the beginning. It takes my breath away sometimes. We still grieve, we always will. But at least we can fill the other moments with puppy snuggles and see the world with new eyes. 

What is its purpose?

Last night I voiced out loud my hesitation to continue blogging.

K asked why.  I stated "everyone has a blog and it seems obnoxious sometimes."

He asked what I had hoped to achieve with the blog.  Notoriety? A place to vent? Or an outlet to be creative?

I said it makes me happy.  I feel better after I write.  Still, anxiety over finding time to write looms over me.

Make time.  Write everyday.  Even if it's shit.  Create a habit.

And focus on what I'm trying to achieve.  I like to write.  I like putting pictures in what I write.  Blogging helps me seek out things to blog about.  It forces me to take more pictures and record what I've experienced.  So yes, I'll continue.

So I'm thinking about doing something crazy.



I'm going to make a blog promise.  For the next week, I'm going to sit here and write everyday.

Lets see what happens.

Summer

Dinner dates

Green tomatoes

Cold showers before bed

Boots with shorts

Eating two plums a day but gathering four everytime I step outside

Forest fire sunsets

New puppy breath

Zucchini vines 

Swimming in saltwater 

Surprise lightning storms

Chilled wine 

Tan arms

Tired legs 

A few more weeks left.