what just happened?

Yesterday I went on a little road trip up to Pacifica, a small town on the coast, just south of San Francisco. I had to pull over on the way because this field at the foot of the hills was covered in these bright yellow wildflowers that were posing for a picture.

The main reason I had the urge to get out of the Valley & spend some time by the ocean was to try to get some clarity on some things I've noticed within the past several days. A few days ago, I woke up with markedly different perspectives on everything I came into contact with. It's almost as if I have a new set of eyes, or that I've been picked up and moved up and to the left a few yards, so now everything looks different to me. The familiarity and sense of belonging that I had, only partially formed as it was, is now nearly gone. I feel detached, like an outsider, but also somehow able to see things more clearly. I suspect that this might be connected to progress in becoming the artist I'm meant to be, which is definitely something I have a desire for. Good art in any form takes a common concept and puts light on it from a different angle than what is conventional. So maybe I haven't gone crazy, or if I have, it's exactly the kind of crazy I want to be.

While I was walking on the beach to find a good spot for my picnic lunch, I came upon this new stream in the sand. It hadn't reached the ocean yet, but this ambitious gathering of water pushed farther and father toward the waves as I watched it.

















I hiked on makeshift paths up on the hills at the beach where the powerful gusts of wind threw my hair into a frenzy and sent tears running sideways down my face. A comfortable setting was what I was after for my lunch and some reading, so I found my way back down to sea level where I was guarded from the cold breeze. After reading a bit and writing a lot in my journal, I felt peaceful enough to begin my drive home.















Jon and I had a great evening of discussing our vacation plans over dinner and playing some music together. We can hardly wait for June 14th, the day we leave for Vancouver, British Columbia. We're both amazed at what an ideal area it seems to be. Some of the things we plan on doing are . . .
kayaking in the ocean . . .

. . . hike in the beautiful mountains. .

. . . walk across this bridge . . .

. . . and just explore the city.


We're also going to spend a day or two in Seattle and Bellingham, Washington on our way back. One of the requirements in our hotel search is that they provide free wireless so I can blog while we're there!
Our evening was topped off by a late night drive, screaming along with an old Jane's Addiction song on our way to the grocery store. You haven't lived until you've heard Jon hit a high B flat.