I was browsing through the pictures I took last week (and the week before, I guess, since there’s that full moon) and noticed so many pictures of beautiful skies.
“Are the skies so beautiful lately and were they not before, or have I started noticing again?” I wondered outloud.
“You started noticing again,” T. said with a smile, leaving everything else unsaid, since we both know what caused my temporary blindness.
I’m so happy to have this little piece of me back (for those new here, just browse my archives, you’ll see lots and lots of sky pictures)
The sky is the daily bread of the eyes. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
I literally sat there, watching them, for 10 minutes.
Yes, that cat seriously considered trying to catch the iguana. His brother caught a smaller one the day before and all four cats feasted on it. I guess he wanted to have a great dinner like that again. So he carefully and slowly crept closer and closer and tried to circle around to attack from behind.
When the iguana started to move its tail, I wondered how I could save the cat without being hit myself and I was ready to at least yell a warning. Iguanas can lash pretty hard with their tails. But apparently the cat already knew that. He ran off and left the iguana alone.
I’m not particularly fond of iguanas because they tend to take more than their share from my edible plants. I also don’t like eating them. They do taste like chicken, but there are way too many bones to my taste.
But I do think they are beautiful and very interesting to watch.
They seem to have a system for taking turns to eat the sugar we put out, but since we can’t tell them apart, it’s hard to figure out what system that is.
If they have any. Maybe it’s just our human minds that are wired to try and find patterns in utter chaos. These birds are kind of smart though. If we forget to feed them, they start doing fly-bys until we remember. Funny little creatures!
Oh well, let’s just pick up where we left off, shall we? And it wouldn’t be my blog without a picture or two (well four) of the sunset (this was actually just one night).
There are so many thoughts in my head, but I just can’t find the words. Some people have such a beautiful way with words, but I have always, even in my published novels, been writing in a way that is very down-to-earth, and easy to read and understand. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that, in fact, that’s what people liked about my books, but sometimes I feel frustrated.
I would like to be able to expres what these beautiful skies mean to me. How I feel lighter, calmer and comforted when I look at them.
I tried, but what I wrote didn’t make any sense. The sentences didn’t flow and the words felt unnatural. I was trying too hard. So I’m just going to keep it simple and down-to-earth.
I love looking at the sky and I hope these pictures bring you a little bit of joy too.
Two years ago, a friend and I were talking about the pros and cons of living on Curaçao. She was born and raised in Spain but lived in Ireland for a long time. We both agreed that we loved the warm weather, but we both missed having real seasons. After that talk I started to take a closer look at the cycles of nature on the island and I noticed that we do have seasons there. They’re just not as obvious and they feel opposite of the seasons in the north. Since summertime in the tropics is when it’s really hot, trees are bare and there aren’t many flowers in summer. Even the birds tend to be more quiet and hidden. In winter nature comes back to live again.
We have been in The Netherlands since April (though we went back for five days to take care of some things because we left in a hurry). I have seen the trees go from mostly bare to lush and green. I’ve seen the evergreens go from winter green to summer green (there’s a difference, I never really noticed that before). I’ve also welcomed the arrival of warmer weather though I still feel cold most of the time. It’s hilarious to compare my cloths (sweaters, cardigans, leggings) to what everyone else is wearing (t-shirts, shorts, dresses). I really, really try to get used to colder temperatures again, but it’s not going so well. I’ve lived here for almost half a century. How can four years in the tropics change so much in my body system? It’s just weird.
Anyway. Seasons. “Real” seasons. T. thinks they’re overrated. He loves the tropics. Me? I’m not sure anymore. But I am celebrating the arrival summer today, by noticing the green leaves and beautiful flowers, by trying to soak up the warmer weather and enjoying the sunlight on these long, long days. (We also have shorter and longer days on Curaçao, but there’s only 85 minutes difference between the shortest and the longest day. In the Netherlands the difference is 9 hours 7 minutes).
The wheel is turning, no matter where I am. And that’s actually a comforting thought.
NOT A STATION 