light

it's after nine p.m. here. the sky is an even pale blue out one window.  from the windows of the back door, it is pale pink.  outside, the flag i often consult with to tell me how the wind is behaving, is telling me now that it is not ready to calm down.  

all day long the wind has been busy, moving clouds through, and the leaves, which suddenly cover most of the trees and hedges.

that is what three warm, sunny days will do.  like the danes i noticed, choosing not to sit under the awning on the sunniest of days for their outdoor lunches, the plant life here must know that you simply do not take such warmth and light for granted.  weather moves fast here and you might just find yourself back to a day (or days) where the clouds cover the sun, and the wind just won't sit still.  and yet, even though we are nearing the middle of may and have had only a handful of truly beautiful, warm, sunny days, having those three or four days last week, all in a row, made today's menu of strong winds and spitting rain palatable.  at least i know it's possible to have spring-, even summer-like, weather here, that isn't just accidental, but stays around long enough to have you believing that these seasons are not just myths.  but more than that... it just felt okay today, to be riding through this weather, keeping our bikes upright in the gusts.  maybe it was the extra vitamin d.  

tonight we finished 'island of the blue dolphins' with william.  a really fine book for anyone with kids, if you are looking for suggestions.  inspired by the true story of the 'Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island,' who, according to author, Scott O'Dell, jumped off the schooner brought to 'rescue' the people who lived on the island, after most of them had been killed by Aleutian hunters, and swam back.  maybe to retrieve her little brother who hadn't made it onto the boat.  her brother may have been killed by wild dogs.  in the book, he is, and this part you may want to edit for william-sized listeners.  she was found and brought to california 18 years later and died after just 7 weeks from whatever western illness her body couldn't fend off.  (as did most or all of the others brought back 18 years previous.)  the green cormorant feather skirt she wore was sent to the vatican, but apparently has been lost (!).  everything else she owned was destroyed in the 1906 san francisco earthquake and fire.  i'm not sure what happened to her dog.  in those 7 weeks they could find no one who could speak her language so very little is known about her life.  even her name.  

tomorrow-- william goes to a birthday party for a boy in his class.  getting his present was what sent us out in the wind today.  and tomorrow is mother's day.  happy mother's day to any mothers reading this.  particularly all of my mothers of various relation.  we won't be celebrating here.  when i mentioned to greg that tomorrow is mother's day, he referred to the calendar and said, "only in the u.s. and canada."  

i have a feeling some sort of exception will be made.