HURRICANE

The hurricane was way off shore , but it spanned 900 miles.

As it headed north, the rain fell evenly and gently, even with the winds pulling off moss and dead limbs from the trees.

With the window open all night, I listened to the gentle steadiness of the wind - a relentlessl ebb without the flow, a lingering whispering exhale.

The same occurred during another hurricane a few years ago.  The hurricane crossed the state, south of us.  All through the night, this gentle breathing of a wind that was ravaging the land many miles away.

Hurricanes are not this pleasant experience at all, except when laying there far from its destructive power.

There is also, of course, an awareness of suffering by those caught in the storm's way, which keeps sleep away.

From a distance, as the song points out so wisely, the wind is peaceful and for the moment, calming.

SMELLS

Almost midnight, I was sitting on the porch, hanging with the two cats.

Bo and Bo III are accustomed to schmoozing for treats about that time of night.

As  I sat there, feeling the cool breeze brush my face, I became aware that the breeze was carrying the fragrance of night jasmine along with its coolness.

Embraced by this privilege, I let this breeze give me a big old teddy bear hug. My, what a blessing!

Then I opened the bag of cat treats, only to be invaded by the tasty aroma of chicken and cheese.

 The cats came alive with anticipation. It was their turn to be blessed.

ADVENTURE

I have come to the conclusion that happiness at this age depends more on stretching beyond defined limitations than on following all the directions for staying healthy - diet, exercise, meditation,  relaxation, stimulating the brain, whatever.

There was a documentary on PBS recently which reported kayaking as a stimulus to curing cancer. The premise was that the exhilaration of kayaking the rapids has healing potential.

 A friend of mine with spinal chord injury, drove all night through a snowstorm from Reno to Sacramento, missing her strict mediation times. She was deliriously happy about her success, and was none the worse for wear.

I have been wondering what I can do to be deliriously exhilarated - not to live longer - but to break free from this package called "getting older". I'm on a hunt for a newadventure, now that the bucket list is all checked off and I'm still alive and willing to thrive.

Squirrel eating stale bread on stump in the yard.

CHOICE

Waiting all day between flights provided vast spaces of opportunity to observe everything in view.

Shopping in the kiosks done two or three rounds, typo-filled posts on smart phone access to facebook, kindle fire games played out of their interest range, and blurry eyes from reading,  voyeurism was next.

Two women were standing in line.

One had jeans, sandals, and a three quarter length striped shirt which was not tucked in - in style for the traveler preferring casual comfort.

The other woman had her hair piled high in a bun, wore a wide-striped orange and grey long jersey dress, clogs, and a denim shawl draped gracefully across her shoulders. She also appeared to be comfortable.

I compared and contrasted the two styles and considered the possible values each held in her choice of attire for the journey,  smiling at the freedom we have,  as women, to be who we want to be,  if we so choose.