Prodigal Summer

A review of Prodigal Summer by Barbra Kingsolver:

Over the course of one steamy summer three lives are intertwined, refreshed and enriched in Zebulon County, a rural land somewhere in Appalachia. Kingsolver follows the lives of three people in Zebulon County and each chapter alternates between Moth Love, Chestnut trees, and Predators, named after each character’s private obsessions.
Sometimes when I read novels set up this way I fall for one of the characters and the rest of the chapters are just a precursor to their story, however, I loved each and every character in this book, and savored every sentence.
Moth Love is the story of Lusa, a mixed heritage entomologist struggling to find her place on the farm. Her ancient farmhouse is filled with ghosts: her family, the childhood of her husband, his relatives, his scent. The ghosts are Lusa; she must learn to live with them before she can accept who she is and how she wants to live her life.
Old Chestnut: Garnet is a sanctimonious old fart. I loved this character, but I’m finding it rather hard to write about him. His family made a fortune logging chestnuts, the blight took it and he has had to work hard his whole life: he’s not complaining, it’s just how it is. His hobby is crossing American chestnuts with the blight resistant Chinese chestnut, half the time he considers the immortality they will bring him, half the time he realizes that unless he changes no one will ever see, let alone care about his Chestnuts. He is like the chestnut trees: the omnipresent memory of vitality and strength in tradition— yet technically extinct.
Predators: Deanna lives on the mountain; her mountain. Completely isolated from society she protects the mountain and all it’s deliciously detailed lives. Deanna delivers some of the best lines in the book: “All the really good animals are extinct”, and “thanks for this day, for all birds safe in their nests, for whatever this is, for life”, both of which I find quite beautiful. Her thing is coyotes; she is tracking one family who has made an unprecedented stay in her forest. Deanna is overwhelmed by the need to keep their presence a secret; the local farmers love to hate all predators.
I love the detail, I loved the easiness of reading, I loved the reoccurring themes of sex, verdant and streaming, of survival, of pure self-obsessed joy in living. The best thing is while each story was told, with a clear beginning, middle and end, it is equally clear none of the stories are over, that no story can end, truly.

Daniel and his scooter

Illinois Daisies

Indian Killer, a review

Indian Killer, Sherman Alexie

Not his usual story—this book has an element of suspense. I absolutely loved it, but then, I love everything Alexie writes. The Indian Killer is either an Indian who kills white people—much like the ghost dance (the Indian killer is the ghost dance, I believe) but it could be read another way—white people are the Indian killer, killing Indians left and right with only that same theme of humanity running through their heads: “Our way feels so right, so their way must be wrong”. Even though he paints anthropologists as about the most mis-directed and irritating humans on the face of the planet, I still saw his point and grew from it.
I savored this book, rereading passages that sounded more like poetry than prose. This book is different than his other books, but only slightly: it’s one part mystery, one part detailed fiction, one part poetry, and one part revolution. Read it. Now.

Black Swallowtail

That's my best guess anyway. It could be an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail though, for all I know.

Lilly of the Vally

Manatee Stealing Water

I was starting to enjoy a bit of self pity on April 20th, normally and traditionally a day spent in relaxation with my friends. That particular day, however, my grandparents and I were continually fouled in our attempts to leave the Keys.
I was sitting on the bow of the Coralie around four pm, about to immerse myself in the afore mentioned self-pity, when I heard someone near the boat say "oh look, a manatee come for some water".
A medium sized female Manatee was right off the swim-platform, so naturally I jumped down to get a better look. They are attracted to the freshwater that comes out of around boats. It's illegal to water them or mess with them, so for all intents and purposes I didn't. I did however scrub some of the algae off her and try to scrape off the barnacles.
Such icky little parasites, the barnacle. The horrid things shrunk back in their little cement-like holes whenever my hands went near them.
Manatees are so cute, although they really shouldn't be: we humans normally prefer things with big eyes and heads. Looking at them, you can tell they must have changed from something more complex to something less, they are quite simple. I read that the manatee has a totally smooth brain, and I think if it has thoughts they are something like this: "water?", "mmmm, water".
I've seen more manatees than my most and have always considered myself lucky, but that day I spent about an hour just hanging out with that Manatee- we were in a boat-yard, so it wasn't all that busy and she really seemed to enjoy the cleaning. I enjoyed it too. Best non-normal day ever.

Herd of Manatee

There was a herd of six manatee in the north (sunny and slightly warmer) part of Sombrero Cay Clubs marina as we were leaving Saturday. They all had the scars and barnacles that are typical-- makes you realize that even though they are so giant and massive (average 800- 1,200 lbs) like everything in the sea they are sensitive to man's invasions.

Me at the helm

The seven mile bridge is pretty famous-- I like this video 'cause it shows Marathon, The Atlantic, and the gulf all in one short clip.

Captiva Dolphins

Whenever I looked outside the boat or into the bay I would see several of these beautiful dolphins-- should hav taken more video, but I was more interested in watching than filming.

Boat Yard

I watched them take this small sailboat out of the water. Yes, I called it a small sailboat.

Boat Yard

I know the people who own this boat. Most boat insurance requires people to either store their boats or move them for hurricane season down here. This boat is actually missing most of her bridge, and she's still that big. The boat yard is neat: privacy and boats in all their hugeness.

Marathon Boat Yard

I thought the boatyard (where the boat is currently being worked on) was cool-- boats are like iceburgs, most of them is underwater. That is a moving van, and yes, the boat behind it is a personal watercraft.

Naples sunset

Naples, FL

Naples is grossly riche. I went shopping, or looking rather. Found a gauze skirt tht i swear you could pick up at wallmart selling (on sale) for $375.00, and the worst part is, none of those people worked for anything they have. I shouldn't make blanket statements like that, but hey, it's olde money to match olde Naples, so I'm just reporting the obvious.

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky

a few of you know why this poem rips my heart apart, if you don't, well, you're better off:

Sea-Fever

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a gray mist on the sea's face, and a gray dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way, where the wind's like
a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

--John Masefield

Captiva

Wild Spaces

God I am so upset about this shooting I was going to post more photos but they just seem trivial now.

Bubble Room

cheese

I don't wanna go back to sea. ever.

I love this island.

I understand that without water there is no life

however,

I really like being on land.

Herons, great and small

South Seas Resort and Marina Pool, Captiva Island

Check this pool-- there's two like this one right next to each other, a beach, so much beauty in one spot it is unbelievable AND my grandma is feeling better AND I GOT INTO GRAD SCHOOL!!!!

Where I sleep and dream

Land!!!!

Waking up in the Everglades

my aunt and my sister will recognize that little mangrove clump instantly, makes me miss my mom.

Molly on the Coralie

First decent night we had, I wish people didn't have to age. This is from Cabbot's--damn good pasta

Behind us, the second day when i wanted to die

OK, my friends from the west will tell you that is nothing-- and really it wasn't, but combined with the stress of not knowing what the hell i was doing-- 8+ hours of pure, unadulterated hell.

A good day as Skipper

I hate hate hate being captain, I'm so much better as crew... still, this is what I saw when I was at the helm, at least the first day...

I knew something icky lived in those holes

Right outside the boat

Hard to believe these guys are vegan...

I've been the crew and occasionally captain for my grandparents on their yacht for the past two weeks-- No internet, not happy- not great weather, really awful health-- everyone thinks when you say you're on a yacht you're having fun-- let me tell you, it's not that fun. It's fucking hard ass work. And, not only are you responsible for a yacht, you're (I'm) responsible for my, my grandparents, and their dog's life. The ocean is pretty- pretty boring and pretty terrifying.

But, I'm on Captiva island, and this might just be the most beautiful spot on this earth. It makes up for 8+hours of absolute terror-- it's that damn pretty. I have about a million pictures, bear with me. And thanks Eleni and Kieth, yours words got me through the worst day I can remember. The next time someone tells you how much they love the open water,just go ahead and hit them for me.

Southernmost point

here's my cheesy tourist shot. Do you like the fake people next to me?

Scoot in Key West

Sombrero Beach

Bahia Honda old train bridge