There is a phenomenon here in the Region during the Summer. I mean besides the tourists and their terrible driving habits. In the afternoon around 1 P.M. or a little later the wind will shift around from the west to the southwest. The temperature will drop around ten degrees quickly. It is a wonderful thing. The cool ocean breeze comes straight up the coast out of the southwest being chilled by its passage across the Gulf of Maine. By the time it reaches the Harbor the heat is gone. Sometimes one needs to add a shirt or light sweater.
I was catching up on news of the caca-storm that is known as the presidency when I saw the clouds outside scudding up the cove. I took note and let my mind do its thing. This short essay below is the result.
Have a beautiful afternoon. Get out if you’re inclined to. Not me. I might stick my nose out to see what needs watering. I took the Beast* to the dump yesterday and emptied out the stuff in the back. Now I can severely trim the Yews in front of The Castle. No more excuses. I’ll do it tomorrow. I’m taking today off for no particular good reason. Ta-Ta.
*1990 Dodge Ram pickup (yard truck)
G. M. Goodwin 4 August 2017
TOTAL ECLIPSE
The wind shifted out of the southeast. He didn’t see it happen. It just came around from the west while he was reading Annie Dillard “Teaching a Stone to Talk”. The magic of the first breeze was that it cooled his left triceps. He noticed the coolness of the breeze kiss the back of his left arm. He turned that direction to look for an intruder, an unannounced visit perhaps. No one in sight. He had been reading Dillard’s “Total Eclipse” from the book. The breeze both interrupted and intensified his reading. The sudden rush of the moon shadow across the valley in central Washington is fearsome as is the unannounced entry of the breeze across one’s skin. He put down the book and stood. The wind was moving clouds up the cove across from the house. He could see clearly now that the wind was moving toward the North. The clouds were moving toward the big dipper and the lazy W, Cassiopeia. Queen Cassiopeia holding onto her chair to avoid being thrown as he had been when he first felt the wind shift past his arm.
The sun was still bright this afternoon in August. The low flying clouds were bright white. They were moisture from the humidity, fog blowing off the ocean. He marveled at his train of thought. A moment before he was sitting in his chair confined to this house. Now he had taken a trip to Central Washington and to the moon, to the sun, and on to the stars in the milky way and beyond. He had imagined Polaris, hundreds of light years away, and had remembered its triple star complex. It took him a few more minutes to wonder about all the places not inside this house. Then he was ready to return to his chair and continue reading.
G. M. Goodwin
4 August 2017
Playing Fair and Being Kind 