This morning was hijacked by a waking nest of sea turtles, sleepily finding their way up through packed, damp sand, blinking lidded eyes into the morning sun, the sway of the nearby ocean calling their ancient newborn souls to the waves. That was their morning. My morning was much different, but I’ll…
I held the wooden statue in my hands, the smooth contours and simple lines etched deeply to carve an enigmatic expression on its face: a straight line for a mouth and eyes wide and round. Arms, sage-like, perched on bent knees, its back arched slightly forward so that the statue seemed to lean in…
Just about every time I visit family, a few of us end up at the local veteran’s bar. Queuing up the karaoke, we’re intent on entertaining the retired patrons with our alternative version of Stevie Nicks, George Strait, Bob Dylan or any other familiar ditty that deserves a far more talented tribute. It’s…
A couple of months back, the starter died on my truck while I was parked in San Juan Del Sur, a touristy fishing village about 90 minutes from home and from my mechanic. The day was a hot one, and while it wasn’t the worst of places to break down, the delay wasn’t…
Just because things are not okay now, doesn’t mean they never will be. Years ago when I was first living in Australia, my Aussie boyfriend worked at this god-awful job in downtown Melbourne. He would spend 12 + intense hours each shift staring into brightly blinking screens for a company whose morals were questionable. …
Silence has pooled in the in-between spaces of this past week. In-between the morning sip of coffee and the first call of the day. In-between starting the engine, and the winding drive that takes me to the beach. In-between the snuffing out of one conversation, and the kindling of the next. Silence…
This week I hit a little dog with my truck. I braked, but I couldn’t avoid the heart-sickening thump and the ensuing yelp, as I swerved into the oncoming traffic lane. To be clear, the oncoming lane did not pose a threat to me. Rather, it was an invitation to avoid tragedy.…
Nightly, on coasts sprawling globally, sea turtle conservationists take to remote beaches during the midnight hours in search of nesting sea turtles. Endangered, and crazy vulnerable while nesting, sea turtles depart from the dark, slapping sea. Slowly and effortfully, they paddle their heavy flippers one laborious stroke at a time up damp and…
Today’s yoga on the beach was powerful. My mind called out to the ocean through the entire 90-minute sequence. Whenever my thoughts carried me to unpleasant places, I closed my eyes, and let the waves fill my ears with their sound. They were coming for me, bubbly and consistent and endlessly reaching. I…
It started with the discovery of a flurry of feathers. The fluffy grey tufts were so small, no bigger than dimes, and tossed throughout my bedroom floor like deflated party balloons long abandoned after a party. Moths, geckos, and grasshoppers had thankfully been my only gifts from Tino these last couple of years.…