210109 At the Vineyard, January 8

jan. 9

The edge of the world.

The mountains and the valley were gone when the day began. We looked out from the edge of the world. But the sun climbed higher and shone intermittently and all the while snow blew down the mountain from the north. After sunset the sky cleared and the stars shone close and bright, almost the first cloudless night we have had this winter.

*****

A pair of ravens lives on the mountain. We see them hunting throughout the day and hear their hoarse voices calling. In the wind and snow a flight of little birds blew like autumn leaves erratic across the meadow, looking black against the sky; chickadees, of which there are many or some other small bird that stays the winter. In the night I heard the hooting of some night flyer.

*****

I was having a down day. I was feeling flat, in the "pessimist" sphere. It was okay; it comes and goes and mostly now it goes. I have only recently begun to trust that the sun side, the positive, active side will return; almost at an unconscious level I have let be and known it would come back soon. Or perhaps it has been that "it is what it is": I just go with it, not pushing the river* letting it go where it will, as well as how fast or slow. But yesterday I called it by its name and understood it consciously. It is a lull, the wait time, a "mop the floor and make hummus" time. I realized that the lull was indeed a "downtime", but a good mood, a rest mode, between creative days. But more than not writing, it can feel like not believing, lacking the energy of that belief. But with the naming comes the assurance, however tenuous, that the "sun side" will return. The downtime is part of a whole, a circle, like the day and the night, the moon phases. It rests on the river of time that propels us, carries us whether we are running with it or sitting on the floor just being.

I washed the clothes in the kitchen sink and hung them in the mud room to dry. No, we don't have a washer or a working dryer. To wash clothes by hand, to prepare beans and rice, to bring in wood for the fire and take out the ashes in the morning: "Letting the days go by, water flowing underground ... How did I get here?"**

*****

Spent a while on facetime with Robin. He demonstrated his grappler (dressing gown sash), how he linked it around the table leg and then how it released, "Wait, I will loosen the knot. Off it comes, like that." He took me to the green room, where he could find a quieter place to work. He fetched his drawing pad, pencil and markers and showed me how he drew letter outlines to colour in, for a poster. It is going to read: Robin's Party.

*****

On Monday it was warm enough for the snow on the roof to begin melting. It slides down the tin roof as a whole sheet, but it froze in place when the night brought cold weather again. Now it hangs there, mid-slide, temporarily part of the structure all along the porch.

Two of the plants that Rain brought for our new house are flowering! It made me smile, that they are happy here.

Spider plant, the granddaughter of mine at home. And a new shamrock grown from rhizomes Rain brought from mine at home too.

*****

I have made Black Beans and Rice a couple of times now, a delicious dinner with quiet flavours that are nonetheless rich and satisfying, a complete meal, or sided with a green or carrots.

[scroll down to skip recipe.]

Best Black Beans and Rice (not the "toxic" recipe for a flu epidemic - see 200402)

4 servings

If using dry beans, begin the night before: rinse beans and soak overnight. Drain and cook 70 minutes or until tender. drain. Reserve cooking water if desired, for adding to final dish. - see vegetarian option below.

1 cup dry black beans or 1 19 oz can of cooked black beans, rinsed.

1 cup any rice, cook per instructions on package.

1/2 red onion chopped fine

3 garlic cloves chopped fine

1/2 sweet red pepper chopped

3 slices ginger root, minced, or leave whole and remove before serving.

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp your favorite curry powder

shakes of black pepper

2 tsp chicken broth concentrate (or cook the rice in broth)

4 dashes hot sauce (Frank's or your favorite)

1/2 tsp salt

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Prepare rice, and beans. Set aside.

In a large skillet or wok fry onion, garlic and pepper until onion is translucent. Add spices and condiments. Stir in beans and rice and heat through, folding to mix. If you are gentle the beans will stay whole better.

You can add leftover cooked vegetables to this, chopped: 1/2 cup broccoli, kale, carrots.

Vegetarians can cook the rice in vegetable broth or add some of the reserved bean water to the recipe, if using dry beans.

[end of recipe]

*****

Fig is beginning to be more assured, as he learns to listen for the door opening and sense the air-flow to avoid obstacles. He is content to doze near me or he will seek out K and lie at his feet if I am busy. Here he is napping on my bed in the loft. I gate the top of the stairs and he calls for me to come and carry him up or down. He has a healthy curiosity for his little world, bordered as it is with snow and snow banks too challenging for him to climb. He can navigate the driveway area and the roads. He is still learning to follow me closely enough to track in my footsteps.