Reckoning Day

Woman at the Well © Rick Griffin Estate

Is there anything heavier than the weight of a pen, on the thirtieth or thirty first of the month, not to mention the odd february? Today was the day that I, like most americans, dive into the big stack of bills. Bit of triage really, mortgage first, then utilities and credit cards, the medical bills a reminder of darker times and seem to get put in the when I have more money pile. Never enough money to mail everything.

I have a familiar chair I sit in and a system of organized groups and stacks and the weight of the undertaking usually seems to burn a big chunk of the day. Of course in the old days bills came once a month, now I have a few oddballs that I have to put out on the 19th or the 25th and I get to prolong the agony.

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Kerry and Jasmine just spent fifteen days in Yellowstone. They are both professional photographers long active in the National Park system and my oldest hiking buddies. They called last week and said animal sightings were very sparse, a couple golden eagles, buffalo and elk. He says, in jest, that they tidied up the place real good, killing all the critters off and all.

Yesterday he and Jasmine saw a mama and baby grizzly bear fighting off five wolves in an argument over ownership of an elk carcass. He was in Hayden Valley, site of the unfortunate recent bear eats man killing. Don't believe that he was close enough for a decent shot of the altercation but I bet it was incredible.  Saw the hyenas going after thousands of wildebeest in the Serengeti and you never forget such a thing. When I was in the Masai Mara I discovered that my hut had been used a few months prior by a lion, who smashed through the window and leisurely ate a zebra on my bed, while the previous occupant ensconsed himself in the bathroom. I slept with an eye open after that. I hope to digitize my africa slides this year and share them with you.

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I am judging a small painting show at Pinnell Gallery. The opening is the tenth of this month. I just went through the entrants on my first pass and there is some very promising work. I really enjoy judging and will be critiquing individual work by request at the opening.

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I don't want to hex anything but I feel like a have a tailwind for the first time in ages. I had wondered if I was ever going to see the fruit of my efforts again but have been blessed with exceedingly good fortune of late. We all have to win occasionally, don't we? Take it as it comes and as Jerry G. once said, "Keep the mother rolling..."

Even planning a much needed visit to see my mother. Been several years.

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A friend who shall go nameless had sort of a pain in the ass travel companion on a journey recently. Wasn't getting it, wasn't prepared, processed aloud, just grated a little bit. He loves the person but things could have been better.

We all process differently. On my trip to Africa, many moons ago, a man who had been on the identical safari the year prior kept giving us blow by blow descriptions about what we were about to see. I finally cornered him and angrily sputtered,"Pretend you have never been here before," an inch from throttling him.

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My wife and I have an issue regarding time. I believe that I am a planner. (she just read this and says I am certainly not. She says that I merely think I am a planner.) I have a punctuality obsession. She is often times late and seems to have a more difficult time managing or legislating time than I do. But the reality is that this is my problem and not hers, she could frankly care less. Her family seems to all have the same time gene and she is comfortable with it. I was talking about it with a buddy today and I said something that he thought I should write down: She is living every moment - I am always waiting for the next one.

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Antarctic storm bringing big waves to San Diego this weekend, possible ten footers on southwest facing beaches. Major south to north rips. Have fun but be careful!