Presents and Presence

Being In Place Weekly Practice: July 21st-July 26th

Another week of summer in the books, and I’ve been thinking about generosity and reciprocity, about the patience and persistence of water in this dry land in a dry year.

---

Left to right from top: A Laramie sunset; Scout takes in the view; Djinn decides to take the plunge while Snips watches; the patience of water etched in stone at Pilot Hill; rainwater caught in a crack in the slickrock makes a fine bathtub; the plants follow the water; the runoff from a long slope of rock keeps the grass green even as summer turns.

---

Monday, July 21^st Entry: A deer ate the blooms of my potted geranium while we were away. But who can blame her? I call it mine, but she might have thought it an offering, a gift presented in a blue bowl, garnished with white alyssum. In exchange, she showed herself tonight and, also, a glimpse of her spotted fawn.

Wednesday, July 22^nd Entry: I was distracted today during my walk with the dogs, caught in the swirl of a hectic and stressful work week. But Snips and Djinn moved into place, exploring brush and sniffing out the scents of jack rabbits and cottontails and who knows what and whom else. When they strayed too far, I’d call them back and thus I would also arrive again in that moment.

Thursday, July 23^rd Entry: Scout and I tried a new Pilot Hill loop today. The morning was overcast and the clouds suggested rain but not thunder as it was relatively cool (low 70s). We watched the sun come into the Laramie Valley between banks of gray. When a jack rabbit burst from the grass in front of Scout’s feet, she barely flinched. The crows in the pines, she [did] not trust, and she regarded them, wary.

Friday, July 24^th Entry: Last night was cool and fresh, a bit of rain. The smell coming in the windows was sweet. This morning, a red-winged blackbird burbles and chimes just outside. This interlude of cool weather feels like a mini-spring in the midst of July.

Saturday, July 25^th Entry: The heat returned. It’s relative, of course. High eighties here in Laramie but one hundred and nine in Riverton where one of my dearest friends lives. This morning, Bo followed me around the yard while I meandered about looking at our various flowers and [pulling] some weeds. Having the cat accompany me on a mini-walk felt like an accomplishment in connection. Lord knows it was purely the cat’s choice.

Sunday, July 26^th Entry: Another hot day, but the breeze kicked up mid-morning, and my ride with Scout was very pleasant. When we got back, she sucked down a bunch of water. If only I could teach her to drink from a Nalgene! Though, even if I could, I suppose it would hardly be enough to clear her palate. Horses drink something like five to fifteen gallons of water per day…

---

What I’m Reading, Writing, Watching, Listening To, and Thinking About This Week

We’re headed in the Wind Rivers for a seven day backpacking trip, and I’m taking Eowyn Ivey’s novel Black Woods Blue Sky. I loved the Snow Child (more to come on that in another post) and am looking forward to digging into this story of the Alaskan wild while tucked into my sleeping bag in the Wyoming backcountry.

---