scrub
destination
unknown sage rocks
shin listed by a log stripe
red scab formed by yesterday’s living bush
hopefully sage – not oak, poison
every step on stones and dirt rises a dust cloud
particles attach themselves to shins coated in a sheen of sweat
a temporary tan
effective sunscreen

and onward
upward to
destination
perhaps

turn onto well traveled trail
look back for bearings

up

steeper

up

steeper

walk

steeper

hands on rocks

burst of sound — quail

up
Up
Up

drink in distance
flat ocean horizon
and rocks lizards scamper
skeleton peaks over a stone

and up

top wise – one stone – pinnacle

tall secure – a middle finger in the sky
and you stand on it

down is slow, just
step
precarious
new lizards
new sharp branches
poison oak you didn’t see
up
down
down
slide slip
down
and again – a meadow
a gray brown sage
a burst of sound – coyote
bounds away perked ears plump healthy body
eyes you plod away

sweat drops now cover
glasses

drops form at the bill of your cap.

another hill
no sound – a bunny
a vulture

a swarm of insects head height
appetizers… nutrition
on the run

Scrub Jay. A peanut
fixation. She squawks mornings
and brings her youngling

Back in 1989 I was a college student at Eastern Washington University. Fall Quarter of my Sophomore year I took an extra class – Happiness – Philosophy 4 hundred level… This is what came out of it. My final paper.

I still think about some of the conclusions we came to… I think that class helped frame the way I look at the world today.

here’s a link to it. I posted it as from 1989.

Buckeye Sandwich

I updated my buckeye recipe to a new and fun version that turns it into a sandwich cookie – surrounded by shortbread. They’re yummy. When I manage to keep them around long enough to take a picture, I’ll add it to the recipe post.

Wrote a short story this month – posted it over on the story time page – here’s a link to it to save you those precious moments it would take to get there.

I’ll probably be tweaking it a bit here and there… there may well be a typo or two. My apologies if they offend you.