Fourth of Jul

I'm beat, mostly from driving. Spent the day out in the Southern Tier near to Olean, NY. ; there's bears out there, and not the kind you find at the Pride Parade. I've only ever seen bear poop, nothing on four legs, and honestly, I don't know what I would do except scream. There are videos on YouTube of cats chasing bears up trees, but none of my cats travel with me, so that isn't the answer. I dunno. Just keep looking over your shoulder as you draw in your sketchbook down at the pond.

The site is in the Allegany mountains, and your ears pop as you maneuver the car up a mud road chockful of slate, roots, and ditches with a sharp dropoff on the north side. My friends own a cabin up there, and it is worth the trip...I usually stay overnight, but since Martian now needs insulin twice a day, I shortened it to a daytrip. The drive was lovely, relaxing, the trees are in full leaf and once you are out of the city, they are large, old, knotty, and have seen more history than I.

Birds of sorts you don't see in urban areas are busy doing their bird jobs--in my world, everything has a job--the hummingbirds buzzed like fat bees, the juncos tipped into the birdfeeder, and the partridge that chases your car was out today also. I was told the partridge views mechanical vehicles as competition, and that all humans belong to him...he will walk right up to you and burble. He's nuts. Parents must be cousins or something.

I trotted over to the pond on the property and the fish came over to eye me warily since they are spawning. As I walked around the edge of the pond, the bass and bluegills circled with me. At first I thought they were hungry like Fishy fishy at home, but my friends said no, they are just protecting their young. What instinct. Really, if I fell in anywhere, all they could do would be to nip me with fish lips; rumor has it however, that there is a giant snapping turtle in there, and that could easily take off a finger or two.

Another friend, driving along a road way out, came across an immense snapper crossing it rather slowly. Not wanting it to be run over, she got out of her car and tried to get it to move faster, lord knows how. Snappers are evilly-tempered bastards, she didn't want to get too near so she got a stick and poked him in the turtle rump. The thing turned it's massive head and hissed at her. She got back in her car, feelings hurt, but hey. You gotta know when to stop.

I drove back towards the city around seven, just as Old Sol was descending, so I still have little burn spots on my retina from driving into the sun for two hours. Instead of driving up the mountain, on the way home you drive down the mountain which is rotten for your brakes even if you put the gearshift into the lowest gear available. I got home before dark which was the plan, but people were crawling everywhere, blankets in arms. I guess there will be more fireworks tonight--last night's didn't begin until midnight--down by the new Erie Canal terminus.

Me? I still have those retinal dancing dots from the sun which is enough excitement for right now. Sleep well, dream lightly.