far too much writing, far too many photos

runswithscissors


Thursday, August 19, 2004

Late summer has taken hold here, slipping sneakily in as the days roll unstoppably past. Daytime skies change with erratic fluidity between sunlight and overcast, often overlain by the haze of summertime humidity, softening the air, softening the vistas of green, green hills and mountains. Lots of rain, punctuated by misty mornings and the relief of sunshine.

The critters in the grass sing louder and louder, making late summer music 24 hours a day (a kind of soundtrack that promotes fine sleep). More and more trees show autumn colors. Rolls of mown hay appear in farmers' fields.



Three days ago the robins disappeared, heading south right on schedule. The hummingbirds, usually out of here in sync with the robins, continue hanging about, but I expect they'll bolt at any time. In general, the noise of songbirds has gone quiet, even the singing of the thrush in the woods across the road, a near constant sound this summer -- an indication that the stampede out of here in advance of autumn temperatures is well underway. And birds migrating south from areas further north have begun passing through, some in flocks, others showing up singly or in pairs, resting briefly then moving on.

In the spring, as the day of my return to this side of the Atlantic approaches and I find myself feeling good and rooted in my Madrid existence, I resist coming back. I complain. I bitch and fuss. But once I'm back and have made the adjustment (often a heavier process than expected), I find myself slipping into a state of pleasure that's hard to describe, just from being back in this part of the world at this time of the year. I drift through my days (being productive or not), I do errands, I swap email and, less frequently, phone calls with friends. I push the lawn mower across oceans of grass, I stick flowers in the Earth or in pots, I pop a young tree or two into the ground. I eat, I write, I read, sometimes I crank up the stereo, occasionally the T&V goes on. Then I glance at the calendar to find that days/weeks at a time have disappeared in no time flat.

I arrived back here 60+ days ago. And the calendar entries continue to push and shove each other out of the way as they hurry make their way through, briefly here, then gone. Temporary, transient, always in motion.

There's a sweetness to that, a poignancy that could easily be experienced as bittersweet. If I'm in the moment, though, what permeates the passing hours is the sweetness, minus the bitter.

But I blather.

On to the day.


Madrid, te echo de menos.

rws 2:51 PM [+]
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BLATHERINGS

August 2001
September 2001
October 2001
November 2001
December 2001
January 2002
February 2002
March 2002
April 2002
May 2002
June 2002
July 2002
August 2002
September 2002
October 2002
November 2002
December 2002
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003
January 2004
February 2004
March 2004
April 2004
May 2004
June 2004
July 2004
August 2004
September 2004
October 2004
November 2004
December 2004
January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
July 2005
August 2005
September 2005
October 2005
November 2005
December 2005
January 2006
February 2006
March 2006
April 2006
May 2006
June 2006
July 2006
August 2006
September 2006
October 2006
November 2006
December 2006
January 2007
February 2007
March 2007
April 2007
May 2007
June 2007
July 2007
August 2007
September 2007
October 2007
November 2007
December 2007
January 2008
February 2008
March 2008
April 2008
May 2008
June 2008
July 2008
August 2008
September 2008
October 2008
November 2008
December 2008
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
June 2009
July 2009

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


MORE FOCUSED BLATHERINGS


Travels:
London '01
Pamplona
Italy '03
U.K. '03
Sevilla
Casablanca
Stoke-on-Trent
Barcelona
Québec/Ottawa
Boston/Lisbon/Madrid
Italy '04
Montréal
La Sierra

Events:
Madrid -- arrival
9/11
Emergency Room I
Holidays 2001
Holidays 2002
Holidays 2003
Holidays 2004
Holidays 2005
A neighbor's passing
Madrid -- March 11 bombings
  and aftermath
Emergency Room II
Israeli friend/Madrid Marathon
Madrid -- Royal Wedding
The DELE exam

GONE, a novel:
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10

THE BASTARD CHILDREN OF
JOE ROCCO, a novella:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3

BURBANK SHRUGGED,
a screenplay:
-- Part 1
-- Part 2
-- Part 3
-- Part 4

Short stories:
Murphy's Wife
Another Autumn
La Queja de Una
  Hermanastra Muy Conocida

Autobiography
-- Personal History
-- Hormones On Parade
-- Accidents, Random Mishaps,
    Personal Problems

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


OTHER SOURCES OF WHOLESOME ENTERTAINMENT

People/Weblogs:
dooce
foxvox
fudge it
fear not
rebekka
bookslut
802online
idle words
madhaiku
wockerjabby
grow-a-brain
rebel market
letting me be
out and about
kung fu grippe
fanatical apathy
baghdad burning
wfuv's music blog
kexp's music blog
mimi smartypants
between the miles
just a hippie gypsy
the impossible cool
tomato can brushes
vermont homestead
sugar mountain farm

Good Clean Fun:
gizmodo
futurismic
postsecret
dave barry
human clock
mcsweeney's
spaceweather
book-a-minute
internet archive
self-portrait day
my cat hates you
out of context quotes
surrealist compliment
  generator
strindberg and helium

Makin' Musical Whoopee:
last fm
stereo8
pandora
soma fm

.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .


ABOUT RWS/CONTACT





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runswithscissors would like to thank everyone who's ever lived for everything they've ever done.



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