Holy schmoly it is the Fourth of July again. Just identified a female golden crowned kinglet, a US/Canadian west coast songbird, on My Rebecca’s rose bush outside my breakfast window. That is a good start to the holiday. I think that I have seen them before but they are not that common here.

We will be down at the harbor this evening watching the fireworks burst overhead. Friends have a home on the water and a terrific place to watch the show. On the Fourth I am reminded of my cancer commando buddy Jennifer who died a few years ago. She was always trying to make it to another Fourth.

I am around a lot of folks who are openly or privately trying to make it to another milestone on the calendar. That is my life these days and I do it too. It lends a certain flavor to life to be in this struggle.

Last evening I heard the news of the death of a young person in our community that died of the results of alcohol addiction. I had worked with her during her high school years. And here she turns up dead in her late twenties. I mourn.

The juxtaposition of these two realities wears on me today. I don’t know enough about addiction to talk about it really but it seems way too commonplace. Maybe it is me immersed in the reality of working extremely hard to keep alive, I don’t know. I grieve for both groups today.

But I have to shake that off at some point today to celebrate this the 243rd birthday of our nation. See you guys tomorrow.

firecracker loves, Felipé.

Well, we survived that one. It was wild and wacky even before Kelly, my trusty walking partner joined us. And he always puts a significant spin on things.

Being interviewed by Henriette is sort of like watching roller derby from prime seats. There is lots of action and it is totally fun and you ask was that an interview? We talked about Cancer and the Camino and for the life of me I can recall our conversation all that much, having too much fun it seems. Although, how could that be a fun topic, you ask? Yea, see, that is the whole idea really, how do we lighten up this topic? How do we kick some of the fear out of it today?

I think that we are really in the zone lately. Remember a few days ago I was blogging on sitting next to this great guy Levi on the plane back from LA. How we gabbed and gabbed and barely noticed that we were on an airplane for three hours. We were really supposed to meet and we made that happen. We did it again yesterday at tapas.

Yea, Kelly and Henriette realized that each had a daughter that went to the same high school in Seattle at the same time and were, ready, in fact best friends. Their daughters had gone back and forth sleeping over at each other’s house but Kelly and Henriette had never actually met before. Before yesterday that is at tapas right here, crazy!

We are having way too much fun these days. It is all very Camino really, things fitting together like that so well. OK, of to the hospital, catch you guys later.

fitting together loves, Felipé.

A thick layer of gray has enveloped us this morning. A little rain is falling now and again. I think that I will put some time in at the woodshop this morning. Maybe we will have some sun breaks this afternoon in time for our walk.

Henriette is coming to the walk and tapas. Kelly may show up also as well as some mystery guests. Rain coming down now. Our plant world needs a good soaking. And Henriette is coming early to talk about Cancer and the Camino, the theme for her new book. A rainy day, we won’t be distracted.

The Camino may be a natural solvent for Cancer. I am using a capital C on cancer here just to acknowledge it’s power. The Camino we always capitalize. But the Camino may be something that has the right properties to loosen the hold of Cancer. It
is powerful enough to match it. To believe in The Camino leaves little room for other concerns. I am groping for something here that I am not quite sure of. Sometimes things get interesting when we don’t have the proper words.

One needs powerful positive things in one’s life to ward off the negative that trolls for us. Old French: troller – to wander here and there in search of game. We are being hunted or fished by negativity I sense. The Camino may be a natural repellant to this.

Well, Henriette will come and we will throw out ideas and thoughts. Something will come of it I am sure. Alperfect!

A lot of talk right now as folks get ready for the Fourth of July, one of our big holidays. There will be parties and cookouts everywhere you look. Fireworks overhead. America’s birthday party!

Thinking of you loves, Felipé.

Monday 0900-1000
Tuesday 1600-1700
Thursday 0900-1000
Sunday 1600-1700

Just come by, Felipé.

Well, the cotton is high around here. Well, it would be if we had cotton. Days away from the Fourth of July and all the hoopla. Have fun but just don’t burn the place down boys.

Thinking of the souls on the Camino now with the current heat wave there. I remember crossing the Meseta with Kelly and we would get up a half hour earlier each morning trying to get more of it done in the dark and cool. It was brutal in the afternoons.

But the Pacific Northwest is not Spain. We are in comfortable temps for sure. Walking in a few minutes and conditions are perfect. Jarod, one of my archery students was by yesterday and we chainsawed and tractored away getting some more of the winter snow damage out of the way.

We are starting to plan an agenda for the Veranda. I will get that out to you soon. Not that we are over engineering the situation but we need a little structure I have heard.

Well, time to go round up my hiking shoes. We’ll see who comes by this morning. Sometimes the mornings are just me and I tend to work on my rosary then, today is are the joyful mysteries. I pray for the whole rock pile here and all the things that you have placed there over the years.

You guys are the best. Buen Camino loves, Felipé.