Sheer Perfection

Mountain Day was absolute perfection from beginning to end. It started with coffee in the morning with Mom & Dad and made-to-order weather. It was crisp and cool with enough of a chill in the air to bite at you a little. We drove the Rav up to pick up my brother & sister-in-law. She's quite pregnant, now that we're less than 100 days from the due date.

The afternoon at B.C. was an exemplary Mountain Day. Old friends, lots of hugs, catching up. A bucket of chicken, grape salad and cookies. It was so relaxing, reclining on the blanket under a big tree. We talked about the sun coming through the leaves and took pictures of everyone comparing his or her belly to Eva's. Dad may have won that one.
Afterwards, we drove up into the mountains to look at a piece of land Dad wanted to see. It was incredibly peaceful with the trees creating a full canopy over the road. And it was a thrilling little drive for me navigating the curves and hairpin turns after the flatness of Wilmywood.

We closed out the afternoon by visiting with my old work supervisor, who is 78 going on 79 and just as spry as she ever was. She's the person I think about from time to time when I need perspective on life. She always had the simplest, best advice. In fact, one day at lunch, after a professor had trashed one of my poems, she said, "Well, we'll just have to pray for him."

On the way back to Justin & Eva's house, I got to feel Sprout move! I've never had the opportunity to feel a baby move, but it felt like a little balloon was in there bumping against the ceiling. It was amazing! And the doctor's told them he's going to be a big boy!

I couldn't have ask for anything more. But like all good fairy tales, the day came to an end. And nothing made that clearer than the lonely, miserable drive home in the rain I had yesterday. Even Kudzu and I were at odds after I scolded him for attacking the headrest with his claws. All in all, though, it was about 16 or 17 hours in car, but worth every minute. Mark your calendars for next year.