Sunday, September 13, 2020

Pig and farm report


the sky is brown full of smoke ash tar creosote and whatever else trees exhale as they burn as they die that picture is not current I just put it there because it is a portal I only stepped outside once yesterday to grab the CSA box from the porch and I held my breath while doing so no baking no frying no vacuuming (not that I was going to vacuum) and no running the dryer we are quiet inside both of us with raging headaches the house full of invisible smoke waiting for rain there are no birds flying or hopping around no birdsong the leaves on my rhododendrons are drooping my trees cast their eyes to the south toward Seattle and Portland which is now on alert to evacuate half a million people that amazing green place burning burning with an administration that has been steadily and quietly rolling back environmental protections an administration that does not believe in science an administration that disregards the entire west coast because our governors would not stoop to kiss the nasty man’s ring

my son is here because the fires were raging toward his orchard which isn’t really much of an an orchard anymore but acres and acres of lush green land in the Okanogan Valley because his dad refused to spray his trees with chemicals and the surrounding orchard owners complained because if Jim’s trees got infested then it could spread so he removed most of his fruit trees and sold a lot of his land and became very very rich I completely fell off the track in this paragraph 

but behold! all is not bleak! last night wee feral cat Hal caught his first mouse and jumped up on my bed with it crunched between his pointy feral teeth (not carrying it neatly by its tail singing a kill song as Jupiter does) I quickly dispatched the mouse into the forest and commenced giving Hal highest praise and catnip and strokes and thanks for his brilliant gift there hasn’t been a mouse in the house for over a year I’m sure it was just seeking sanctuary the second goodness is that two days ago I started to read again finally I read Iain Reid’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things after watching Charlie Kaufman’s brilliant film based on the book because I was so intrigued and mesmerized by the film (on Netflix highly recommended) and yesterday I read halfway through Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments I read the way I’ve read my entire life nonstop lost enthralled and happy like there had never been a long stretch of time where reading left me my most beloved portal

after I eat my egg this morning I’m diving right back in but with even more love for the art of reading now that I know such a gift can be lost to me

I hope you are safe wherever you are



8 Comments:

Blogger Ms. Moon said...

You are such a very good mother to your little animal gods.
I am having such a hard time reading these days. Even with my ears. No book makes me happy. No book carries me away.

September 13, 2020 at 10:29 AM  
Blogger Radish King said...

Yes yes this. It’s awful. X

September 13, 2020 at 10:31 AM  
Blogger Barbara said...

I’m glad your son is safe and with you. Mighty, mighty Hal the hunter! I just want these horrendous fires and the horrible orange thing and his cronies to be done and out, out out!! The universe needs to show us a little mercy. Much love and so happy to see you on Instagram!
Xoxo
Barbara

September 13, 2020 at 12:25 PM  
Blogger Radish King said...

Yes mercy yes. Hal has surprised me by becoming my constant companion always curled at my side or swinging around my ankles when I cook. He even walks beside me down the hall. I haven’t had such an attentive body guard since Paris the Genius Cat. I feel so honored. X

September 13, 2020 at 12:33 PM  
Blogger Linda Sue said...

Thinking of ending things- visually is a feast- mentally is exhausting- genius really. Or genus (?)- Hal is mighty- may he not become a host for toxo. I am under the same so-called sky as you and the lad, it is brown dark and thick. I am glad that you are together, as it should be...I miss my boy.

September 13, 2020 at 12:55 PM  
Blogger Radish King said...

It was genus- a wild ride. I want to watch the film again after reading the book but I don’t think I need to. It was not an easy film and I am left haunted by Toni Collette’s remarkable face. She is really something else. I wish your son was there with you. Portland. My father lived there he loved the wilderness. He camped at the base of Mt. Hood the day before his open heart surgery now he’s buried near the freeway. We live in interesting times. X

September 13, 2020 at 1:03 PM  
Blogger beth coyote said...

OK, I'll watch the movie. I've avoided it because, well, you know.

Love, Beth

September 13, 2020 at 1:04 PM  
Blogger Radish King said...

Hello Coyote! Yes. It is so good. Jesse Plemons is amazing as Jake though as I watched it I kept thinking he was all wrong for the part though he was perfect. Which makes sense given the story. X

September 13, 2020 at 1:08 PM  

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