Finally some beautiful hot sunny days here in the great Northwest. Some days are sealed forever in my memory of a picture perfect day. The charm of this day revolves around a visit to a mountain fed river that at this time of year is at its deepest four feet. It winds its way thru farmland on the way to the Snoqualmie River which is a huge fat lumbering river waterway in the State of Washington.
Others will just float in the water without inner tubes. The shoreline is dotted with people just sitting on their beach chairs right in the water. The rocks on this river are all about a perfect median size of an ostrich egg. These rocks are smooth to the touch, and slippery to the foot in the water.
One of my favorite things to do is to put on my water shoes, and wade out into the swift water and plunk down with a rock in each hand to weight myself down. I find two rocks to brace my feet against and then I sort of float while going nowhere and this feeling of the river energy running through my body is the only way I can best describe it. It feels like the ocean except it is one continuous body current of water that is quite a wonderful experience.
It is on my top ten list of happy experiences in my lifetime. We bring along a cooler with some sandwiches and iced tea and build a pool of rocks to keep the tea cool on the river's edge.
The water at first touch feels quite cold, as it is the season's end of the run off of the Cascade Mountains snow melt. After the first dunking in however, it becomes this dreamy experience of baking on the hot stones by the river's edge and then cooling off in the water where you can see the occasional little fishy cruising by.
The group next to us had a golden retriever to which the family would throw rocks, and Penny the dog would chase out into the water and actually dunk her head down into the water to retrieve the rock.
The water is glistening, and the trees are gently rustling, and I wait all year long for this day of my river healing, as I refer to it. The window is actually a couple of months long but usually with work and my life schedule I get a narrow two-week period and it is usually in August.
Its effect (of sitting in a mountain river) is dreamy and extremely purifying. For days afterward the lasting feeling of actually having all that water moving through you, releases what feels like ions of stuff that I hold onto, is gently moved along, and I let go of it with the grace of this kind mountain river. I am smiling and giggling like a child (along with everybody else) and it is not something I set out to do; the only participation on my part is to enjoy the day, the sun and the water.
To add to this day there was a reported meteor shower at night, and I was really excited because the sky had been so clear that I was looking forward to seeing the awe of the evening heavenly stars. However, I was so happy wasted tired from the day I could barely stay awake till dark. I did though, and went outside onto the deck with my pj's , my hooded robe and my ugg boots to ward off any mosquitoes nipping at my ankles.
I lay down and gazed up at the sky.
There were so many stars out I couldn’t even find the Big Dipper. It was like some sort of rock concert of the heavens and all the stars came out to shine in their glory. I lay there thinking that here I am, human being spirit Rena looking out to a galaxy of stars from my beautiful home planet Earth.
Earlier in the day we were discussing the meteor shower, and I mentioned that shooting stars and meteor showers are one and the same are they not? My reasoning for this is I have always wished on a shooting star? So, I figured if there was going to be a shower of stars I should be able to make a wish on every one I see. Kind of the lotto of star wishing, so to speak.
I thought about this a lot during my time in the river and I thought I would start off with something big like “World Peace” and then with every star work kind of backwards, like a good trending stockmarket, and then throw in a wish for a new car for grins. Why not, I mean there was to be a shower of stars?
So, I am lying there gazing at the heavens and stars and "whoosh” a shooting star happens. It always takes my breath away to see a shooting star and I don’t know why but it has never lost its ability to do that to me. I immediately said, “I wish for World Peace”. I closed my eyes and lay back waiting for the rest of the amazing meteor show to continue.
The next thing I remember is BB touching my arm saying “twinkletoes you have been asleep out here for awhile now, best to come inside to bed”.
I fell asleep, can you believe it? I just couldn’t even keep my eyes open or the energy to stay outside anymore. I got up and went inside.
Over breakfast in the morning, we were talking about the Meteor Shower and BB asked me if I saw any meteors, and I said well yes I did and I only got out my wish for a World of Peace and didn’t get any farther down the wish list. No new car, just World Peace. Then I fell asleep.
This day I have had the honor to experience and write about is dedicated to the memory of Barbara Ann Scott. Mother to Sandie, Jimmy and Johnny, who are my cousins. Their Grandmother was my Grandmothers sister. Barbara was seventy four years young, and was an ordained Minister and I send a prayer of love to the heavens.
My Dad phoned me last week and told me that Barbara had passed away after a lengthy illness. "You know your Mother and Barbara are already off and away on the path to shopping. Those two had a passion for beautiful things, and so no doubt your Mom Elsie was there to greet her".
Have a beautiful day,
Photo: "room with a view" PKM
Joy,
Rena
www.talktotheturtle
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