journeys of a restless mind

the call

A few adolescent elk at the edge of the herd

Have you ever heard the call of an elk? Elk are quite large. You don't want to mess with them, especially the bucks with their impressive antlers. Those of us who live on the Olympic Peninsula are pretty blasé about wildlife. Bald eagles, yeah whatever. Bambis, please just get out of my way and stop eating my roses. But we are still impressed when we run across the resident herd of elk. There are a lot of them, and when they gather, they take over a larage space. They are still afraid of people. And they sound like the strangest cross of bird, woodland fairy, and first year clarinet student that you've ever heard.

It's high-pitched, it's wheezy and whistley, it's downright eerie. It starts high and rises higher. It does not inspire confidence.

How is it possible that such big magnificent animals sound like that? What purpose does it serve?

I don't know. But I do know that if you are standing rapt at the edge of a large field watching them graze or rest and you hear this sound, you will never guess it is coming from them. But you will pay attention. And maybe that's all it needs to do.

friday iPod random ten with lyrics

1) Watching the Detectives - Elvis Costello
Close up with a sign that says "We Never Close."

2) Nice 'n' Easy - Frank Sinatra
Let's make all the stops along the way.

3) Red Dirt Girl - Emmylou Harris
She tried hard to love him but it never did take, just another way for the heart to break.

4) I Felt the Chill Before the Winter Came - Elvis Costello
It's so easy when you love to lose control.

5) Tennessee Plates - John Hiatt
I was never king of nothing but this wild weekend.

6) Piena En Mi - Freddy Fender
Si tiene ganas de llorar, piensa en mi. (If you feel like crying, think of me.)

7) American Eulogy - Green Day
The punch line is a natural disaster.

8) Crazy Baby - Joan Osborne
How long have you been sitting in the darkness? You forget.

9) Club G.R.O.S.S. - Chris Thile

10) Fruits of My Labor - Lucinda Williams
Tangerines and persimmons and sugarcane.

settling in

Life is settling back into some sort of routine for Hijo and I, and it's very sweet. He had soccer practice yesterday, so I drove him to the big field and I sat in the car listening to In the Maze and reading the latest Kate Atkinson book. The sun was heading towards the line of tall trees at the far end of the field. The clouds were going lavender. The air was cool but soft. Adults walked around the track, doing laps. Every once in awhile I'd put my book down take my glasses off and just sit there with the breeze coming in through the window and the glow of the evening and the music all around me.

Right at sunset the crows came. Darkest black, flapping, high across the blue and the lavender clouds they flew, heading southwest, dozens of them in little groups. Where were they going? Do they all roost together at night? They were headed straight for the Olympic Mountains and I could imagine them flying and flying until they all huddled together on some steep cliff, black spots against the white snow. More likely there is a tree somewhere, or groups of trees. I never see them gather more than two or three at a time during the day, but every evening there is the same exodus, as if they are chasing the waning light.

And then after a few minutes, they were gone and there was just the sky and the moon and the clouds, and the voices of the children playing soccer at the end of the field.

released

released
Originally uploaded by nina turns 40

30,000 people came to visit, and all I got was this bracelet.

(Edited to add: Tyvek is incredible stuff. I wore that thing for 60 hours straight, and it just got a little bit wrinkled.) (Yes, I bathed.)

boats