Porch

Working From Home – Day 646

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Spartacus Usurping My Work Space – Photo: L. Weikel

Working From Home

Since the pandemic hit, Karl and I have been working from home. When I say working, for me at least, I am primarily referring to shamanic work and focusing on my next writing project.

Once it became warm enough, I essentially moved my workspace out onto our porch. It’s a small space, but it is where I gravitate to and feel most closely aligned to Mother Earth – and She is my primary partner in everything that I do.

Peeking at me across my driveway – Photo: L. Weikel

In case you’re wondering, I probably should clarify: when I have a session with a client, I don’t usually conduct it outside on the porch. Rather, my habit has been to retire upstairs to one of our bedrooms where I can open Sacred Space, shake my rattles, use my drums, and envision my client reclined in front of me as if they were in my office. That said, as long as there’s good cell service, a session can be conducted anywhere.

But all the other time I spend writing follow up emails to clients, corresponding via email and text message, and working on my next book, I generally spend on our porch. Which means that I’m assisted by a wide range of creatures.

This post is a short one. I’m sharing some photos of only a few of my office mates.

While we don’t generally gather at a water cooler, we have been known to share a few peanuts when the going’s gotten tough.

Hanging near the olive oil for Sacred Fire – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-465)

Not Another Weather Post – Day 253

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Blue Heron Hanging at a Pond Beside the Road – Photo: L. Weikel

Not Another Weather Post                                                 

I will admit, I am as loathe to write another post focusing primarily on the weather as you are to read one.

But I have to tell you: for a person who mostly listens to others and usually doesn’t do much of the talking, it’s hard to come up with something to ‘talk about’ every day. That’s especially true when you consider that there are many days when I don’t leave my home. And even some days when I barely leave my porch.

Today, for instance, I reveled in getting lots of emails written, forms completed and submitted, and appointments scheduled. Yet I barely left my porch. And while I managed to cross a lot of tasks off my ‘to do’ list, having a productive day does not necessarily translate into having much to write about. At least, not anything that might hold interest to many, if any, of you.

Lost Opportunity

One thing that happened today was a moment of excitement, rapidly whisked away by a flood of disappointment. Last week I received an invitation from my law school to secure tickets to attend a “conversation” with The Honorable Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The notice indicated that tickets would become available online at 10:00 a.m. this morning.

You can guess how successful I was in scoring tickets. Not at all.

But it was fun to imagine, even if only for a millisecond, having the opportunity to listen to and experience this icon in person.

A Vow for Tomorrow

Surprisingly, the wild storm last night did not usher in a new wave of pleasant weather. It cooled things off a little bit, but not significantly. In fact, I was surprised by how miserable the weather turned out to be again by late this afternoon.

Ooops – I just realized I’ve begun talking about the weather again. Gah.

Well, it was really just a segue into what I wanted to say about walking. It’s official: I just allowed an entire week, a vast seven days, to go by without walking as much as one pathetic mile. Appalling!

The last mileage of any consequence that I walked was last Monday, when I walked three miles. The day before that I walked 6.5 miles.

Re-Committing

I guess that’s something I could write more about tomorrow. I was really on a roll there for quite a while. And I’ll tell you: I miss my walks.

So my Vow for Tomorrow is to renew my walking. I’m beyond eager to do so. I yearn to be walking again. I don’t care how long my session lasts tomorrow, I know the weather should be exquisite for a walk by the time I get home – and I intend to take one.

Let’s hope I can snag a photo or two that can inspire me to write about something fascinating or intriguing.

In the meantime, I’m going to leave you with this little critter, who kept insisting upon marching across the top edge of my computer earlier today.

Little Green Spider – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-858)

Porch-Vacating Heat – Day 252

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Hummingbird at our porch feeder – Photo: L. Weikel

Porch-Vacating Heat                                     

Even though they called for it, I’m still trying to wrap my head around just how hot and muggy it was today. By the late afternoon and early evening, the atmosphere was unbearable and I had to go inside. Reluctantly. Dripping with sweat, but nevertheless dragging my feet.

I’m probably a bit weird. (As if you hadn’t figured that out yet; amiright? My façade is so well-maintained.) As I was saying, I’m probably a bit weird, but I adore sitting, writing, talking, reading, working, musing, Medicine Card picking, bird-watching, and all around being on our porch.

It’s a bit odd, too, since the porch isn’t exactly roomy. And our house is sort of close to the road. I guess I’m saying it’s not a perfect porch. Not even close.

Our Porch

But it’s our porch. And so many good times have been had on that porch, so many beautiful sunsets have been viewed, so many games of hearts played, so many hummingbirds, crows, chickadees, downy woodpeckers, cardinals, fish crows, indigo buntings, mourning doves, pileated woodpeckers, wrens, blue jays, catbirds, house finches, red breasted woodpeckers, goldfinches, red winged blackbirds, sparrows, and both red tailed and sharp-shinned hawks (keeping the populations of the aforementioned in check) have been celebrated and excitedly welcomed from our porch.

We’ve also enjoyed squirrels (OK, maybe ‘enjoy’ is overstating it a bit when it comes to squirrels), chipmunks, deer, foxes, turkeys, opossums, raccoons, groundhogs, garter snakes, bunnies, bullfrogs, skunks, tree frogs, snapper turtles, and box turtles from the vantage point of our porch. I’m sure I’m leaving some critters out. I’d include weasels but the weasel that ran up to me so many years ago was actually out back behind our barn. Since I didn’t view it technically from our porch, I’m not including it in that list.

So Much Life – Just Off the Porch

Now do you get a sense of why our porch is simply the best? It’s better than a zoo. (Doesn’t even compare. I really don’t like zoos. But that’s another conversation.)

And beyond all those creatures mentioned above, we’re also surrounded by grass, trees, moss, hostas (also known as deer food), wild flowers, and bushes. All viewable from our porch.

I tend to gravitate to the porch, and spend a considerable amount of my time at home on it, from roughly mid-March through early December. So for me to abdicate my domain – you know it was hot, humid, and unequivocally miserable.

The Reprieve Arrives

And now, as I sit here on the couch writing this post, the close and exceedingly bright flashes of lightning and deep rumbles of thunder that began about half an hour ago have paved the way for a downpour, the promised reprieve. Ah – great. All the electricity just went out and I’m sitting here in the pitch black of the night. Except for the lightning.

Which of course, it now dawns on me…means no internet connection. Great.

I’m thinking it may be time for me to go to bed. I will post this as soon as I am able.

Here’s hoping this storm marks the end of this heat wave.

(T-859)