HELLO, JULY Well this is awkward...
I’m returning home from a hard tour and, even more exhausting, the gutting of Roe v. Wade, to a 4th of July “Oh, FUCK NO!” situation. Even in rural Vermont. People mindlessly set off fireworks while my dogs try to crawl inside MY body. And “oh right,” we are not free.
I pull weeds which helps a little. I intend to work all day tomorrow and avoid people. It may not sound like it but I’m actually trying to respect the celebrants’ space. A useless action I know, but I can’t pretend shit is OK. Blah, blah, blah… yeah, I’m sick of it too.
I had written a different post, but it was rather hopeless. I do respect the fact that many of you who subscribe here come for something a little more inspiring or at the very least, joyfully absurd. I wish I felt that way so badly. So I look.
There are still brilliant green hummingbirds visiting the porch. Copper skippers cover the remnants of rain puddles. The emerging delphiniums haven’t yet flopped over. The milkweed smells heavenly. My ancient dog, Jerome, and my daughter’s dog, Coco (a very large lab/pitbull mix newly transplanted here due to a move), are getting along swimmingly; Coco has even lost a few pounds since she does not have sneaky access to cat food anymore. (Which likely means she thinks this place is bullshit?) I’m really leaning into the fact that she likes to hug.
The meadows look soft as baby hair. The tachinid flies still like to come sit on my hands as I type. The bees are humming along in seeming abundance despite word that they are going extinct. The red-winged blackbird is back on the power pole yelling, “Muker-JEEEEEEET!” Which I think means, “I WANT TO PRESS MY CLOACA TO YOURS!” (“Cloacal kiss” may actually be a scientific term. Good god…)
What have you got?
photo by uncle Mike Bulington
Hello my friend,
I empathize with you and others in our stupid country. I am in Congo and happy to be here and not there. Too many cornerstones of our values and rights are being pulverized by selfish assholes there. Here things are grim as well - still I prefer it. There have been conflicts north of where I am as tensions rise between DR Congo and Rwanda. Uganda changes sides depending ... We are waiting to see if there will be a tipping point and how Europe and the US will respond. But, it is beautiful here in soul, spirit, art and nature. I am immensely rewarded by the people I meet and experiences I am having. I get to help out at a primate sanctuary that my friend manages. I help with the dogs and a monkey rescue called Bakwele that we call Guacamole (of course). I often get to visit a nearby national park and see critically endangered Grauer's gorillas, the biggest ape on the planet and also hug my park ranger friends. From time to time I go to dance class taught by two dread sporting Congolese guys. Super fun. I get to view marvelous Lake Kivu which helps me ponder life, work and relations. I also am working on fishing my PhD and will present some stuff soon-ish. I am happy.
I will return to US in August to see my old parents. Hope to return to Congo in October. I may strategize not being American.. somehow. I love you my friend. My hand is in yours.
At our place, the wild black raspberries are ripening and we have an absolute HOG of a turtle eating every berry lower than 8 inches off the ground. There a woodchuck living under the front porch that loves eating lily buds, which is fine by me. The bee balm is blooming and our yard is covered in every type of bee you can imagine - we see red, orange, and green bees daily, besides the bumbles. They are getting absolutely hammered on elderflower pollen, too. Getting ready to harvest sweetgrass from the front yard - it smells like heaven. Oh, and my friend gave me coconut curry taffy and it's amazing. That's all the good news in NE KS.