Gone

Summer, kids, time.

Skedaddling along

Whew. Tough band rehearsal; we got into the theme music from a movie called "The Cowboy and the Girl". Galloping sixteenth notes and such! At least us lowly Third Clarinets got some lovely melodic passages which we can shape to distract folks from our lack of galloping ability...
What a gorgeous late summer day, for walking and taking in the warm air.

Enshrouded

It's always a shock when the summer ends; it gives fair warning, but one day it's bright and hot, then the air chills next morning. Guess I expect it to be more gradual, for no good reason. Then there's the specter of rain falling, visible under the street lights, and its sound a soft backdrop before sleep arrives. Only a couple sessions of the nearby farmers' market left, and the young ones head off on journeys; they've got the urge for going and all that. Wonder if an end of seasons grief is inbuilt. Time to really hit the practice card.

Summerfall

Dazed and bemazed; the sun and breezes make a person want to walk around for hours. Since I can't run any more, I feel I need to at least do this in order not to deteriorate. The old metabolism isn't what it ever tried to be.
Concert band has resumed, and with it the mix of eagerness to master and guilt at not getting far enough. The first round of music seems relatively easy, so maybe dogged practice will pay off.
Time for a walk.

Indescribable

I was privileged to spend the day with our dear sweet offspring, who is an amazing rock climber; he drove us up to an outstanding place of granite unforgivingness, and was patient with his aging mother. We were able to warm up on an "easy" route, Princely Ambitions, then a bit harder one, Japanese Gardens, on the Index, Washington Lower Town Walls, a former granite quarry which has been secured and preserved as a climbing area and bird sanctuary. One looks up these steep cliffs, and wonders how a person might ascend; one starts climbing upon these steep cliffs, and continues to wonder how a person might ascend. The granite gives few clues. The day was perfect, cool winds, sun, warm rock... And as I was privileged to do a couple of years ago, I got to belay him on a route he'd been eying, Narrow Arrow Overhang; he climbed the line fluidly, and over the overhanging roof, nary a fall. Amazing to be able to watch an elite athlete up close. I tried the bottom section of this route, but it outdid me before I reached the first set of anchors. We warmed down on a classic, Godzilla, and packed up the gear. Soreness will be my companion for a couple of days, but as I told him, I am glad I can still be on at least the bottom rung of this elating effort.