Damp, Green, and Humid

Sunday - July 22, 2012

Spot the stag?  Directly above the middle fence post.

Another wet, lush morning where the vivid greens layer texture - and a high degree of personal comfort (for me) - against low, grey skies.  I relish this color palette.  Perhaps it's reminiscent of growing up in the greenery of Connecticut or living in the pillowy clouds of Yangmingshan or tropical growth of Hong Kong.  I find that this intense green cocoons and soothes - just makes me happy!  As an added bonus, for the third day in a row, I have come downstairs to find a large stag sitting alongside a log in the woods just beyond our back yard.  He is positioned facing the house and I can see him clearly as I sit and work in the living room.  The stag remains so still that even our deer-focused, not-to-be-messed-with Sadie does not detect him when she braves the soaked lawn (our IGs do NOT like water) and ventures outside.  While deer are a daily sight around the house, this resting stag is a special surprise and I welcome him as a good omen on this final day of leisure before a busy hospital week.

Today I will repeat last week's preparations for the hospital and also try to ready the house for Megan's arrival (!) at the end of the week.  I have an unsubstantiated fantasy that Jonathan will swing by between his volunteer obligations at Virginia Tech's Freshman Orientation and next week's ATP tennis tournament in D.C.  Will all of us be together when I am discharged from chemo on Saturday?  Unlikely but possible!  AND, there's always Skype  :)