I spent a day in heaven last weekend. I didn't have to do anything drastic to get there; I just drove two hours out into the country. It was a gorgeous day, and the highway was not crowded. I did see a lot of folks towing boats; since the Lake of the Ozarks was just another hour on down the road I was not surprised.
When I turned off the main highway onto the country road leading to my friends' house, I could tell an immediate difference. The air was so sweet and clean it was like being in that laundry detergent commercial where the clothes are hung out on the line to dry. The corn in the field was so green it vibrated. I wanted to pull over and just breathe in the air, but I was eager to reach my friends. I dodged several turtles crossing the road thoughtfully, and considered bringing one back home with me.
When I pulled up in their driveway, six dogs bounded out to greet me. Long wet tongues everywhere, all eager to check me out and welcome me. I could hardly get the car door open so I could get out. I stumbled into the house inside a herd of dogs and settled down on the couch. With dogs. After enough head-petting, most of them wandered away to nap, but one of them parked on me and made himself comfortable. He stayed there for about an hour, and seemed to enjoy deeply relaxing beside me.
We all went out to the heated pool in the back yard and splashed around in the sunlight. Natural perfume from nearby roses, mints, and other growth settled around us in pockets of scent activiated by the heat of the day. We floated on our backs and watched four eagles swirling around overhead. We staged Doggy Water Ballet with the garden hose and one of the black labs. She ran after the stream of water joyfully, lunged at it, tried to chew it, and charged at it until she was completely soaked. When one of us got tired and put the hose down, she sat on the edge of the pool and looked pitiful until somebody else picked up the hose and resumed the game.
I was disappointed to realize when I started to get out of the pool that Gravity had not been rescinded. The laws of physics combined with my reluctance to leave the pool made getting out an ordeal, but I was getting pruney and it was time to leave.
I had wonderful conversations with my friends and discovered that we had even more in common than we had already discovered in email. We had a nice brunch and managed to time our meal so that the hard rain of the day only lasted while we were indoors. How validating it is to find people who share beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, and ideas. I noticed many books on their shelves that I have on my shelves at home. I felt as if I had known these people all my life. I hated to leave, but I knew I had a considerable drive back home.
Now I'm back in The City, and I look at it in a new way. I'm glad that I have a back yard where I can go sit and enjoy birds, trees, bunnies, and squirrels. No turtles yet, but occasional raccoons, foxes, or possums do cross the lawn. The convenience of organic grocery stores and art galleries are a consolation for the lack of eagles overhead.
I look forward to having another retreat with my friends. I might even take a turtle-sized box with me next time.
Bright Blessings,
Spiral Crone
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posted by Spiral Crone -- 10:26 AM.
Haloscan:
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Paradise regained
