The Laughing Song of Greyback

Rereading Duffy Barkley is Not a Dog to try and keep the book I'm working on consistent 

 With the last day of school on June 12, and a clean-up of the classroom on June 13, I was free to concentrate again on my writing and the other aspect of being Dixie Dawn Miller Goode.  Teacher by day and from September through June and writer whenever and wherever I can fit it in. And before either of those, Wife, Mom, daughter, friend.  I love the complicated life we are blessed with.

 One of the great Joys of summer is time to live outdoors and feel my world expand, one of my favorite places to do that has always been at a primitive car camping site by Oregon Caves, primitive meaning no showers or flush toilets or electricity, hauling water and yet also meaning very few other people and ample choice of beautiful sites even when there on a weekend.

 So when one of our best friends sent a text to my husband asking if we would want to meet them there for a couple days camping, we basically didn't hesitate to scream "YES!"

 Greyback reminds me of William Blake's Songs of Innocence

 In Particular,

 "The Laughing Song"

When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy, 
And the dimpling stream runs laughing by; 
When the air does laugh with our merry wit, 
And the green hill laughs with the noise of it; 

when the meadows laugh with lively green, 
And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene, 
When Mary and Susan and Emily 
With their sweet round mouths sing "Ha, ha he!" 

When the painted birds laugh in the shade, 
Where our table with cherries and nuts is spread: 
Come live, and be merry, and join with me, 
To sing the sweet chorus of "Ha, ha, he!" 

 another fitting quote

Never make your home in a place.

 Make a home for yourself 

inside your own head.

 You'll find what you need to furnish it

 - memory, friends you can trust,

 love of learning, and other such things.

That way it will go with you wherever you journey.

Tad Williams

I love that this man never says "No" when I ask him to stop whatever he is doing and come to play

Friends who are more family than almost anyone

So the first official day of summer caught me right where I needed to be, and reminded me that we need to say "YES!" to Laughing and Playing and Friends.

I can write anywhere.  Where should I set up my tent next?

August Begins in Del Norte

Greyback Creek by Oregon Caves

I have always loved Summer, for the warmth, and the slower pace and the family get togethers.  I see friends and nephews and people who matter but are often not a part of my daily work-a-day life.  This summer has had heat, but not so much in my neck of the woods, where the highs have rarely been above the low 60's and the average rainfall was left behind 20 inches ago as we came in at nearly 100 inches this year.

So we went inland yesterday, driving only an hour but hitting a completely different climate, warmer, dryer, SUMMER.

Here I am cold, so we went Inland and then needed the shade and water below the bridge

Near Oregon Caves, is a little, lovely campground which is usually almost empty thanks to the fact that it has outhouses and no running water, no showers or flush toilets.  But what it lacks in comfort, it more than makes up for in beauty.  Greyback Creek flows through, cold and sharp enough to make you gasp and warm enough to allow you to get over the chill and linger all afternoon.

We met one of our best friends and one of her children there.  I say children but he now towers over both of us, stretching up toward the blue sky the way these trees do.  We had a picnic and played in the water and soaked up the sun and then returned home, bringing the extra teenager along for a week of band camp and coastal life.

Rope Swing

Love reflections in still water

When we arrived, a lab was churning up the water and leaving it muddy, so by the time we strolled back to that spot I was surprised to see the cool, calm water both clearly showing the bottom and reflecting trees and sky.

 One of the great gifts that the United States has scattered through out it are "Day Use Areas" and I encourage everyone to take advantage of those near to you.

Water Bobbles at Del Norte County Fair

 The other thing I love about summer is FairTime and these new "Rides" are almost enough inspiration to convince me that I need to lose 100 pounds!  Who invented weight limits on them anyway.  Sigh!

Amazing

 I always stroll through the arts and Crafts building to take a break from the crowds and either the wind or the sun.  This year there were less exhibits submitted and I believe that to be a direct result of the overemphasis on testing in the schools these days.  since art is not a tested curriculum subject it becomes taught less and less.  The school kids no longer have a room full of projects to submit.

Walking stick in Arts and Crafts display

Sea Kelp Lampshade

 I find that both sad and tragic.  It has been proven that creativity improved thinking, Art and music make for better math and science reasoning.  Life is emptier and sadder without the beauty of the arts, and kids who go to school because they love their electives will not stay in if there is only "Core Subjects'

Redwood burl carved into bowl

Freezing to watch a concert

One of my husband's former music students won the Colgate Country Showdown and got to be the opening act for Sammy kershaw's Concert.

So enough of my personal soap-box.  Mostly life is really good.  Where it isn't - Create beauty and Goodness.

Enough said.