strawberries and lettuce

 one of the magical things
about being artist in residence 
here
 is how fine things are.
simple, thoughtful.
this place is thoughtful, even
it feels like it breathes easy.
 but more,
when i arrived,
discombobulated from 14+ 
 hours of traveling
i was greeted
 by susan's mindfulness
everywhere.
 in the refrigerator
were strawberries and lettuce.
berries sweeter than sweet
tiny, old fashioned ones,
and a head of lettuce.
susan told me the varieties,
 but i was so sleepy i forget their names.
she had picked, washed, and prepared them
for me. 
there were other good things to eat
including a very special honey yogurt.
 i met with the arts council here
and had a lovely dinner
good conversation,
and was gifted with a travel stipend
to my happy surprise.
tomorrow is the arts walk
and i'll set up a little table to greet my new neighbors.
 susan's husband richard cabe
who died from brain cancer over a year ago,
is a happy presence here

 richard and susan breathed life into this old building
a shop/studio that is pleasant to work in
 not pretty or perfect, 
but beautiful
in the everydayness of the place
which is why i love being here.
 i've only wandered off once so far
and found a pelican
who knew my only photo was so pathetic
this is a rock book
one of five i made a while back
that richard liked
this photo surfaced as i was thinking about him
and this legacy of terraphilia
and susan, my incredible host.
i'm liking the contrast of visiting the high desert,
but yesterday's 105 temperature
was, by susan's measure and mine,
a bit much.

bluer

ian's evening sky
winds all day yesterday
smoke seems to have blown out for a bit
(or maybe not, i don't know this place much)
and i don't smell it now, anyway.
but the morning sky is bluer and the mountains
are black/deep green/tan
(is that snow on a ridge?)
smoke in the air, maybe
dust on my shoes
removed by the door.
the longing for water.
a creek cantering by
willows drought dead, now revive
hug the edges and hide.
different than home
so beautiful and i want to say
vital, tenacious, fragile and gifted to me
for a fortnight.
 proto paper!
 one of two big tables
portals 
 lokta
for india 





a benign face in the posts and beams
blogger won't let me upload todays pictures. 
no matter, yesterday's will do.
we're getting to know each other
this brick place and me.