Spring Fever

I have spring fever. It feels great, I am giddy, giggly, cheeks flushed. A Bald Eagle passed over me today as I flew my bike along gray roads and I rose up out of my seat as if to meet him. I actually shouted up at him as I went under, fly! I yelled. I could clearly see his big yellow feet and beak against his graphic body. He flew so close to me, I am no threat to him. It was a nice day for flying.

The Sun

When the sun comes out in February in northwest Washington, you will naturally want to go outside. Even if you have nothing to do there, and many more things to do inside, you put on your boots and migrate out.

I was outside for 90 minutes today. I worked in the garden adjusting the stepping stone path that leads to my office. The flat discs have not been the right distance apart, first they were too far apart and I leapt from one to the next, then they were too close and I could only get up to a slow stroll. Now they are just right. I also collected up all the disgusting old black plastic I have stored around the garden and laid it out on the new piece of territory I am expanding the garden into. Because its so windy right now I laid big cedar branches all over it. I had the branches leftover from some pruning I did in the fall. It looks like a conceptual art installation.

Now that it's dark I guess it's safe to get back to work.

Irate Returns

Irate came back today. I was going for a walk with the dog when she arrived. The dog was momentarily MIA so I walked up the driveway calling for her. Whistling, then calling then whistling, then walking and pausing to listen for her tags, then calling again, then yelling. Then yelling more. And there she was. Irate. I wanted to kill the dog, scream at my neighbor (I'm sure she was somehow involved in the dogs disappearance) and really showcase my big bad ugly anger.

It's been several hours since the incident. Irate has had a few glasses of wine and should sleep for another month or so.

The Process

The process of coming up with ideas is arduous for me. There is a place I get to where there is great confusion of image and color and line, and expectation. Eventually the elements slow down and then I can see the form in each one and that is where the fun for me begins. In deciphering the form of each element I can make something meaningful out of thin air and good intentions.

When Roosters Attack

So the bastard did it to me today. Oscar Sanchez, my Single Comb Brown Leghorn Rooster jumped me from behind while I was spreading scratch in the pen. Apparently he didn't like how I was distributing the delicious mix, turning clockwise in a slow circle. It really pissed me off so I showed him the soul of my boot. I knocked him back a few times, he came at me a few times and then backed off. The whole gang was a bit out of sorts today as the wind picked up and the rain has returned. I swear I'm calling the taxidermist.

The Triumph of Self Loathing

I learned just last week that the idea of high self esteem has been grossly misunderstood in child development circles. Turns out all those kids who were told they were "so very special" are having trouble transitioning into normal adult life where it matters what people think of you. Apparently too much self esteem building at an early age results in young adults who need a lot of praise and can't take much criticism. In their world of "it's all about me" they have trouble navigating relationships and don't do well academically. Basically its not high self esteem that leads to high accomplishment, it's accomplishment that results in high self esteem.

It turns out what does build successful people is a heaping handful of self loathing and doubt. Something to nip at your heels, to remind you that you aren't good enough and you should work just a bit harder.

Finally I am doing something right, well not that right.

Sunday Night

The end to another weekend. Pearl and I are home alone, Mark and Eddy are up at their place. I always feel a bit blue when we retire to our separate abodes. It's such a novel idea that we might actually live together one day. I wonder if when it happens I will miss this missing feeling.

Friday

So we're in for the evening. We had a nice walk under the high tension power lines up the road. Luna ran around like a maniac chasing the ball. There is still a fairly convincing layer of snow everywhere. My feet got pretty wet and cold as we trudged around the park. It was beautiful though, there is a section where you walk through bare trees along the top of a ravine. The light was low but it all looked very graphic and pretty.

We have some tandoori chicken from the local Indo-Canadian meat shop for dinner and I expect we'll watch a movie. Something Tarantino was mentioned earlier. Maybe I'll work.