what joy there may be in silence

Cairns bring thoughts of Jessica.

12.16.07

freezing: running around the house (completely nekkid) looking for a warm pair of hiking pants. finally warm, coffee in hand, cat calmed, bag packed, hiking pants on and a wool cozy sweater: out for a fine day starting out a little bit closer to 'early enough' this time around, out the door in search of sunshine, snow, untraveled trails, and eventual exhaustion.

and then a dare of a prolonged state of silence; taken.

'winter in frame'

Climbing, in silence, on foot, through the sugary soft, shin-deep snow; thinking about the Christmas music rolling around in the head: peppy, heightened energy. and plastered in smiles. confounding: never believed in 'Lord' or 'King' or the religion surrounding the occasion (and the lyrics). But sure liking the inspiration towards joy -- the joy that perhaps was intended. the intention of joy is enough, right now. Drop the rest and let the lightness flow.

The silence is remarkable. It's spacious, like the sky and the vast blanket of snow. Breathing is clear, and the rhythm of the walk and the breath begins to unfold.

Dreams from the previous night also unfold: driving through a forest somewhere. cooking food at the top; complicated food ending up in finger-food-bite-sized pieces. off on snowmobiles for a tour of NYC. over some water on a flat boat that was moving way too fast. up a river. into a channel. through a tunnel. and then 'they' started chasing us back. we had to retreat. back through the tunnel. and a wave was coming and it was ENORMOUS. and we had to kill whatever it was that was chasing us. we made it back through the small spaces and the large water.

and then the sun rose!

reenactment of dream #3

speaking. sooner than intended, but necessary for Connection and a cohesive, all day exchange. the known trail evolved into a new, ancient (never traveled) trail. making connections and winding into another adventure.

ed is always prepared

ed, so bright

sometimes he actually needs help diggin' out ;-)

hour 6 out found the sunset. again. this keeps happening. and it's good. and grand. and gracious. and this is a lucky thing. hours 7 and 8 in the dark, moon shadows illuminating and textured.

'tiger trees in waning daylight'

connections in the dark are good for the soul. connections in the super market are also very cool. hot showers after a day out in the cold: brilliant.

boiling soup was an accident.

wine finishes a day in the most succulent way.

cozy in fleece.

the cat says: meow. rarely.

jj