I Am From (Courtesy of Lime)

I am from the double pane window looking south, from Smoker Craft and ABU Garcia.
I am from the house on a hill in the woods, sequestered, yet visited and warm.

I am from the red alders, Douglas fir, both BLUE and sitka spruce, the cascara sagrada whose bark, if licked, will give you the runs. From the thimbleberry, elderberry, salmonberry and salal, stiff and waxy and as noisy as drums when going on walks where no road ever led. I am from the trillium that appear later this month.

I am from pizza from scratch, cuccidatta and the fig trees that fill them, pignoles, ossi di morti and matzo pancakes. I am from putting up olives and from kissing each other on the lips, yelling and forgiving, laughing and singing, from Carmelo, Carlo, Alfredo, and Gus, from Emanuel, Dora, Sadie, Babba and Jakob.

I am from the family meetings in our one and only bathroom and sitting around listening to The Brothers Four, Louis Prima, Bellafonte and The New Christie Minstrels.

I am from don't play with matches and "Oh, I suppose you can go swimming in the canal."

I am from being Jewish but becoming Catholic. From the ancient solemnities of rubric and rite. From incense and mystery and sharing the cloud. I am from near ordination and anguish over decisions to leave or pursue. From a best friend in Rome who put it like this: You've got 15 reasons for leaving; 14 for staying. And on such shall the greatest decisions be made.

I'm from Salt Lake City and Camporeale, Sicily, Romania and Russia, pesto and homemade pastas, from fruit leather dried in the hot Valley sun.

I am from the time my father responded from his drug store to the bank's clever robbery alarm, then winding up staring down the barrel of a gun, the walking on crutches after spraining his ankle when he turned to escape getting himself dead from a good deed done.

I am from all the times our mother just sat there thinking in silence when we pulled into our driveway after going to the store as we waited for her in our own meditations, wondering what she was thinking now that we were home.

I am from the oversize album still under the bed, from enlargers and cannisters piled in bags. From courtroom antiques and pharmacy jars and the full mahogany bar we yanked from the old Del Puerto Hotel out in Patterson (apricot capital of the world).

I am from the three meter board and meets as far south as Merced and as far north as Lodi. I am from watching my sister hit her head on the board on a reverse somersault in pike. And from a deep thankfulness that sharks are not prevalent in pools. I am from challenging for trumpet first chair. And winning only once, by default.





Since I am LINK restricted on this computer (MAC), I can only refer you to Lime's blog for instructions on how to get to the site where you can follow the formula for this sort of post.

***THIS JUST IN*** Thanks to Lime for posting the link in the comments. You're beautiful, man. Don't ever change!

***THIS JUST IN*** Thanks to Paul, I have changed browsers to Firefox and can now link and load.


Not to disappoint, here are some shots from today's flight with friend Don who was kind enough to fly me over to Newport to get my plane out of hock. Due to a hangar door malfunction, I had to impose upon the good folks at "the big airport" for temporary digs. We are in Don's Piper Tri Pacer. You will notice the undulations in his plane's "skin." It is a 1940s vintage aircraft and back then, they were only covered with fabric. Really, really strong fabric.





















MARY'S PEAK. STILL SOME SNOW. DON'T PLANT THE GARDEN TIL IT ALL MELTS OFF. CLICK ON THE PICTURES TO ENLARGE. THE LONG WHITE STRUCTURE ON THE RIVER IS THE OREGON OYSTER FARMS. YOU CAN SEE THE RAFTS WHERE THEY GROW THE OYSTERS.
















IN THE DISTANCE, CAPE PERPETUA
















YAQUINA HEAD AND LIGHTHOUSE, THEN CAPE FOULWEATHER, DISCOVERED BY CAPTAIN JAMES COOK

















THE BOAT WAS SPINNING COOKIES WHICH MADE A NICE EFFECT WHEN HE ADDED THE "STEM" BY DRIVING OUT OF THE WASH. COME HOME JACKIE. COME HOME BROOKE.