FIRST MONARCH
I was just thinking about how I hadn’t seen a monarch butterfly even though the milkweed is in full flower and the delicate, lean-stemmed Queen Anne’s Lace has turned all the grass into one huge carpet of bouquet. Just as this thought materialized in my mind a monarch floated up in front of the porch. What a relief! At least one thing is right with the world!
The floods have really taken their toll around here. Cleanup will be happening for years. Lots of snapped off gigantic trees and condemned houses. We are having a housing shortage here due to people buying places up from out of state to use as their “second” or vacation homes. It’s hard on the displaced. But Vermonters keep cleaning up and trying. That’s what I love about this state, even if it doesn’t feel like it always loves me back. Maybe it’s just the general temperature of our nation, which is downright hostile that makes me feel that way. I am likely projecting…
Anyway, all is moving at a decent pace in the studio. The songs are sounding good and I will post more soon. This last week was just heavy and my attention was on the immediacy of the flood stuff going on. Apologies for my absence. I am glad to be home despite all the turbulence. I am deep in several creative projects at once which keep an edge of anxiety to everything, even sleep. I need to iron that out…
In good news; dahlias are blooming, there seem to be more native bees than usual, my neighbors are the kindest, people I look up to are saying nice things about my book, mixing time is around the corner, I’m going to see REDD KROSS in Toronto (mild freak out!), as well as many good friends. What is on your “good news” list? Please share! We need all we can get! I LOVE you!
Here are two cars that were rock-tumbled in the flood. Don’t worry, no one was in either one of these cars during the flood, and no one was hurt by them. Neither car has any paint left on it and the damage is grizzly! I posted these as part 2 of my PSA about not driving into flood water EVER, no matter how shallow it looks. Also, there are some VT orgs that could use donations if you can spare a little. Thank you XO
https://www.classy.org/give/501142/#!/donation/checkout
https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-peacham-recover-from-july-10th-flood
I had my first story published!
Hi Neko . Good news items 🤔 Jenny and I are downsizing and looking to move house. Decluttering and generally shifting stuff. My daughter is having her child in October and my son graduated from university. I'm only working two days a week and transitioning to retirement. I'm trying not to unravel from images from the US but hope as we know is a fragile thing . Most important is sending a few dollars to decent people trying to get back on track.
Va bene.