The livin' is easy

Rose hips. Fall is coming.

Last summer was hot, difficult, onerous. In word: yuck! Because it was awful, I became determined to plan ahead, to make sure I would get outta Dodge this summer. For once, I made solid plans to get out. I made reservations, I made sure.

In two weeks my ex housemates and I are going to Lake Canandaigua, one of the finger lakes of New York state. I chose the location because I found a really nice condo on YRBO, with a dock on the water and a panoramic view of the lake. We will rent kayaks, we will take wine tours, we will cook and watch movies and drink wine and oh - we are so excited!

My goals for the finger lakes trip include learning how to pronounce the name of the lake, and learning all I can about the region - of course. I am such a nerd. I've been reading about the geology which is really cool. The finger lakes were under water for a long time, then the ground rose. The original finger lakes were riverbeds. Then the ice came down and gouged out the riverbeds. Later the ice melted and filled the lakes. What a dramatic history.

The Indian lore about the area is wonderful, too. It was said that when the Great Spirit touched the earth to bless her, his fingerprints remained on the land. This is the mythical understanding of the region's history, also dramatic and beautiful. In the Reyaverse, both versions are true.

I'm re-reading Seneca Indian myths and folktales, and thinking a lot about the nations that inhabited that land. They were so democratic - and matriarchal! - wow. I hope to talk to some of the ghosts and spirits of those people, if I can locate the right frequency, that is. I'll only be there for five days.

Tomorrow I'm heading up to the mountains to stay with friends in their house tucked into the Little White Neck of the Potomac River. I love the land up there, but far more than that I look forward to spending a weekend with these friends who are so dear to me, it's kind of ridiculous.

Ironic that I planned these getaways assuming this summer would be punishing like the season usually is. Instead, summer has been wonderful. I've felt good, slept well and been unencumbered by drama. The weather has been great. We've had an abundance of Colorado summer days, plentiful rain, some heat but not too much. In the midatlantic swamp, a summer like this is a miracle!

The journeys out of DC are not about surviving the summer, as I thought they would be. They are blessings, the cream at the top of the bottle.

Life is good and I am grateful. Lucky, too. Shalom.

I'm outta here.