Hiding out, taking a break

I think I should take a break for a while from this blog. Comparing recent entries to earlier ones, I've lost focus -- or at least my edge. It may be because life in the neighborhood has moved into a state of hazy suspended animation.

It is VERY quiet around here. Most of our English speaking neighbors have left for northern latitudes. Our Spanish-speaking friends know enough to stay out of the sun and, consequently, out of sight. Any social contact we have comes with those few souls who are out and about in the gray hours before dawn when Larry and I walk Kody.

When the sun "comes up like thunder" it is no longer over the Sierra, but directly behind the fishing village, and its first light is no longer gentle. It ricochets off the water in the estero and straight into my office. I keep the heavy curtains closed against the morning heat, but then I don't feel like writing in a dark room.

In the kitchen, on the same side of the house, I use clothes pins to attach heavy beach towels to the iron bars over the windows above the sink. Otherwise I have to wear sunglasses while I load the dishwasher. All of us drink liters of water daily.

Out of the sun and with the fans on, the air is still fresh. The nights are cool enough to need covers -- even chilly in the hours before dawn. But this morning I put away the comforter, rolled up the Oriental carpet on the floor and put them both away. It's now a white chenille coverlet on the bed, and bare, cool tile for our tootsies.

We have air conditioning here in the house, in selected rooms. So it may be time to hole up during the daylight hours, listen to recorded books, and dive into some of those projects I've been saving for just this time: books to read, pictures to paint, slides to scan, financial records to bring up to date. I'll be back when I have something meaningful to share. This should be a BLOG, not a BLOB!