Me like the new emoticon. Not as great as Pandera's rainbows, but... me happy.

So... it was a special day in Miss A. Lou... mild, around 50, and folks running around in red dresses (including men) to raise awareness of something... women's heart issues? Anyhoo... the one man I saw was wearing pearls... which was fine by me, but ...one should never run with pearls.

Ta for now.
 

Letter from Saltese

Dear...,

We are west of Saint Regis, deep in the canyon, climbing this pass past dry hills of pine. And what will we see on the steep other side? Idaho. A hurting green clings to the close canyon walls, this gash in the mountains. And there far below: winter hides in dark shadows where the sun doesn't reach...

Oh, to touch you, reach out and touch you! Beseech you to come out from your cave. I'd behave... at least try to.

Cold sky soars blue, unpolluted and we climb into its blueness ready to fly free as the panel beneath our bus flaps unsecured. We stop in Saltese: wide spot on the side of the road, empty, a small dot with its Montana casino and the Mangold Motel. We suck in our breath as the driver checks underneath; we hold it.

As I'd hold onto you.

Five miles to go. Under pine, dappled snow, signs of snow machines where once railroad tracks ran, where before only tracks of lion and deer marred its surface. We dare not look back, the way opens before our eyes as we arrive at Lookout Pass. And below us our prize: Idaho.

And my prize? Left further and further behind me.

Your friend forever, Kåre.

2010 February 19 [166.359]

Written on the road. Pic of Saltese at FB. Still working on it. Kate Kronen nailed it at Writing Group last night. She's very insightful.

Montana 46 sunny degrees today in Miss. A. Lou. Maybe precipitation this weekend? One can hope... but I'll enjoy the sunshine today!

Today's scribble

Beverly

She crochets rows of deep blue and purple,
yarn blooming green, orange and yellow,
recites poetry she wrote
in nineteen-sixty-four.
She rides the bus with her bags of wool,
tells us yarns to pass the time,
this grey-haired lady of five-hundred miles,
Tacoma and her children left behind;
fifteen-hundred yet to go, while
Indianapolis yawns at the end of the line.

© Kåre Enga [166.358] 2010-02-24

Sketching it out:

Beverly and I talked on the bus from Monroe (NorthWest Lines) to Missoula. She was a fascinating fellow traveler.

Thou:

I'm hoping you-all are doing fine. Finally figured out how I can use the one computer if I stick to wi-fi. Broadband? What little time I've had I've spent on FB because I'm still leery of it. 77 friends though... and Acme just found me.

Me and Mine:

The sun is out! The sun is out!

Writing group is tonight so it's time to go to the library and make a copy of recent works.

Miss A. Lou: Some sun and mild 36º at 4 pm Montana Standard Time.

If I knew what I were doing wrong... I could fix it. Sometimes I guess right. Sometimes I don't.

I have enough time left to clean out my inbox.

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhh.

As for me carrying my sack of shoes the other night... the cops did say hello. They patrol the river bike paths. Which is good, but they killed a homeless person last year very close to where I was walking.
 

My broadband is still not working. The computer is fine though...

Have spent time catching up.

Yes, I'm back in Missoula! Pure sunshine today and not too chilly. Last night I admired Orion and the half moon (media-luna) as I trudged home. My pillowcase full of seven new-to-me shoes slowed me down (the Lugz may be good for climbing Mt. Sentinel). Took an hour to walk home... and then the stairs! Lavinia said I should've taken a taxi. She's prolly right but the night was lovely...

I have a poem to post, but I'd rather not rush it. Only 20 minutes left until this place closes. Looks like I'll be spending even more time at the coffeehouses until my internet connections are straightened out.

Tomorrow is sushi at 5. Do I promise myself that I can treat myself if I behave and catch up with my writing and blogging?

My sister actually lives in Snohomish, just outside of Monroe... nowhere near the village of Snohomish...

It has been sunny for three days or more here.

I'm on my way back Monday. Will post Tuesday.
 

It's mild and sunny in Spokane.

My computer is cooperating; my mind isn't.

But: ham and gruyere and coffee and some lemon curd.

I'll be at my sister's for two days.
 

Computer issues still not straightened out. May be going to my sister's place for a couple days... will catch up there or if my computer behaves when I go to the coffeehouse today... We get so attached to the internet, don't we? Anyhoo... I've been able to keep up with FaceBook... barely... I don't trust the site, so it needs more monitoring then WDC. I feel more exposed there...

Anyhoo... anyone have an opinion on Blackberry? I may get one with global capabilities. My Verizon comes due for upgrade in May, but I can do it now if I choose.
 

There was sun for a moment... and we basked in its warmth. Mid-winter released its death-grip on the river running through us and our veins turn a warmer shade of blue. The ravens flew off to the river over the melt at the asphalt's edge and the snirt became greyer with each bird-chirp. On the other side of the yellow-brick depot, the frigid Clark Fork flows and beyond lay the mountains freshly frosted with snow. There was sun for a moment... and then it had to go.

Other writers say...

Robert Hass will be in Denver at AWP in April 7-10.

Robert Hass "Cuttings" read by Poetivity:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aMJ0r_LGvw&feature=related

Robert Hass lecture for Lunch Poems:



Thou:

I've been following some of you in FB. I was shocked to find out Hailey and I have a common friend here in Missoula... we probably have more, but still... didn't expect it to be Chris!

There is more sorrow too... Debi Wharton has it all written down I'm sure. It's hard to see friends suffer through the loss of a child, no matter the age.

Me and Mine:

I'm sitting in Bernice's in my alpaca sweater (too warm for a jacket) thankful that the sun isn't baking me but mourning its passing. Missoula would be easier to live in if there were more sun.

Winter is one of the reasons only outdoorsy hardy folks stay here in Montana. Western Montana is mild but cloud-gloomy. Eastern Montana has sunshine that will kill you if you step outside. Anything under -30 is deadly.

If I could live here Summer-Autumn and in Oklahoma Winter-Spring I think it would be grand. That or Winter-Summer in Costa Rica, Montana in Autumn and Oklahoma in Spring.

Miss A. Lou: Oh where, oh where did the sun go? 45º at 1 pm! Montana Standard Time.