and nights here began [after an inexplicable seven hours on the road from DIA] with getting his parents wasted on martinis though on Linda, who’d been training for just such an eventuality in Omaha, the effort was somewhat wasted, fortunately failing to interfere with chicken cacciatore

for six less than twenty-four hours after her return…Sibylla and I looked over our wines and

a good time was had by all though the very next day we had to be in town for another week’s

provisions after which Izel moved in after lunch so Luz could spend the better part of the afternoon at the ‘bib investigating Dean’s paintings damaged thanks to one David Eicholz’ persistent ineptitudes*, returning somewhat latish and more than a little bummed

to collect the young Izel, leaving us free to sleep quietly in of a Saturday, a day where Linda began to mightily feel the effects of all the previous ones on the road

while Luz and his old pal John Barr managed to get in a hike only to be chased and attacked by a mysterious feral billygoat but on our side some recuperation did ensue;

early to bed, late to rise and hopes for the best. Sunday morning it was up the creek with son

and grandson before the eventual/inevitable afternoon’s Libra/Libre Celebration [a lot of Libras

ever thick on the ground here] at Betsey Rich’s – tacos and veggies, birthday cakes and folks

from near [our next door neighbors Arielle and Leon] and far [Betsey’s son Cole from L.A., Luz from Vancouver, all below and just a small sampling] until pretty much afternoon’s end and

then soon after [in our case anyway] considerable pumpkin scraping and carving to finish

things out…one result being that the next morning was devoted to Linda’s creating two scratch-built pumpkin pies, which then segued into elaborate afternoon-long duck manipulations

on Luz’ part all in preparation for yet another Celebration, this one being [Canadian] Indigenous Peoples’ Day with Dean and Sibylla plus, bearing soup, the aforementioned John Barr…no killer martinis but plenty else and yet again a fine indulgent time.

The next day, strangely already Tuesday, we made it into the fir-est**, fall leaves fallen and then,

soon after Izel and Luz were back so the latter could catch up on some work, to Gardner

for a last session with Desireé whose ministrations will be sorely [pun intended] missed as

Izel amused his own sweet self until late afternoon when we all

reconvened at Leon and Arielle’s amazing farm/menagerie for a tour involving turkeys, chickens

[not shown], trees fruiting and otherwise, vegetables dormant or not and more, culminating

in homemade ice cream and a few rounds of Uno in their cozy house before all dispersed; Dean

and Sibylla up the hill for a last meal with Luz and Izel, we home to reprise some of Monday’s duck.  During breakfast the next morning the Canadians were down for a very brief goodbye before disappearing up the driveway to BC…a wild five day whirlywind for sure.

*Don’t let the sleek website fool you; at the artists’ end of the stick the place is a rolling disaster with Communications and Accountability completely lacking and in the case of Dean’s paintings, returned only after years of obfuscatory difficulty, the total lack of communication with the shippers [not to mention extremely odd if intensely labor-intensive packing] resulted in pissed off truckers, damaged crates improperly stacked and several works irreparably destroyed as a result.  Oh well; David.

**The woods up the canyon are noticeably diverse but at one point briefly turn to mixed evergreens, ending in a density of firs where a fallen tree affords the last place to sit before the path climbs to cross the creek.