Faut suivre le rythme, garder la cadence, mélodie estivale, chansons et improvisations pour piano désaccordé, jeux de mains, jeux de cartes, règles en batailles, bleu, jaune, rouge, vert, tapis et tant mieux, tant pis pour toi, je recommence, on dirait que je suis lapin, j'écrit mon nom, du bout du coeur. M.
Our twenty year-old fridge broke down, forcing us to live off coolers for a week. We were obviously due but there’s very little joy to be found in buying a new refrigerator—it’s one of those utilitarian objects that quickly fade into the background of our lives. We’re far from the thrill of a new TV...ok, maybe that’s just me. Of course we were an inch short on height clearance when it was finally delivered: we ended up removing two cupboards, leaving a gaping hole where several mixing bowls used to chill, happily waiting to fulfill their duty.
Needless to say all of this wrecked whatever semblance of schedule we’d manage to figure out. So I spent the weekend alone, working, while the family attended the annual summer gathering at my in-laws. A shame...but those lost days represented time I simply couldn’t spare.
There are obvious signs of impending change in our household this morning: toys, bowls...carpets temporarily removed. Everyone’s back and we’re about to drive to the animals refuge in Ogden again—except this time, Watson is coming home.
Next up: Cats & Dogs - Wild Adventures in Fur...
“After many a trial
We all silent there
It burst as new-arisen,
Throwing a shade to where
Time travelled at that minute.”
The sky is calling. It's time to go.
There's no clearer sign that a trip is ending than the email from your airline saying 'check in online for your flight tomorrow!'
The packing has been going on all day; and at the same time, I'm drawn back to the details of where we are, the particulars of this place, which may or may not be here when I'm next in this country. So my focus is split between putting things in bags, and appreciating my surroundings one last time…
Every day seems like groundhog day, but different each time. I've been making adjustments to this pedal board for months, ironing out problems by removing pedals and replacing them with solutions. A mic preamp, a monitor mixer, graphic EQ. It always looks so over the top for saxophone and a little bit of guitar, but it's all relevant. I hope it's finished. I'll find out soon.
Then a short intermission in groundhog day to go to the opticians to get my eyes tested. My eyesight has got worse since my last check, but I already knew that. I take a quick look at the kids section because that's where I choose my glasses from, due to my tiny cranium. But I'm not in the mood for change these days and I ask the optician to find me the exact same Ray-Bans I have at the moment.
I format memory cards and charge batteries for a shoot on Saturday and then the kids come home from the first day of school, showing mum the new timetable as they grab the first thing that's edible. It's official, the holidays are over. The recent groundhog day is about to become more like the old groundhog day. Pretty soon dance and music classes will begin again and we'll settle in for the winter.
We are still here. In the magical valley of Mizala, Andalucía, Spain. We've been here just under three weeks and we have two weeks left to go.
The place we stay at is very remote, but we love that. At present, the kids are still young enough to be excited by the pool several times a day and long walks (at dusk) out into the vast, wild, desert-like environment.
We've been coming here for ten years or so, and every time we walk, we find something new. Another glimpse into the lives that once existed here, that are past, and perhaps only existed fleetingly, but the lives whose stories continue and will forever be a part of the future.
The law of the land here is important, and it protects the history. There are many ruined houses, some that were left in a hurry during the Spanish Civil War, others that have simply been left by members of the families that sought their fortune in the lucrative North or other parts of Europe.
This entire valley was once the belly of the earth. It was part of the neolithic ocean bed, and there are still reminders of that. We find them daily and you can see it in the land lines across the tops of the mountains.
I feel like I'm looking at my own reflection in a mirror every year. It's almost exactly the same, but there are things that are different. Usually subtle things, but things none the less.
And, as the children grow, and their expectations of a family holiday change, then I'm sure I'll face a challenge in spending so much time in this place with them.
'till then, we'll enjoy it. Spend more time in the pool, hit the beach a few more times and have a few more lazy Sangria's whilst watching the sunset.
The 15th of August is a bank holiday in Belgium and as tradition requires, the week of the 15th is a family holiday with my parents, my sister's family and us. The 15th is also Noa's birthday. 11 year olds still wake up pretty early, so I wake up even earlier to make breakfast. When I look out of the window, my sister is making a selfie with an escaped sheep. Noa takes a royal birthday bath while my girlfriend and I hold court for the traditional help desk event in which my mother and sister furiously bomb us with all kinds of weird computer issues. Birthday portraits are not a tradition yet, but I'm trying to make it a tradition to take a portrait of everyone who celebrates a birthday in my presence. I don't have time to structure or reread my post because I'm under great pressure to light the barbecue. See you next week for a more structured post.
Ce n'est pas la plage, les cocotiers, pas non plus les grasses matinées chez les grands parents. Ces quelques ados scouts charrient des pierres, construisent ensemble des murs pour les futures terrasses du château de Castelroc. Travail à la chaine, efficace, questions des uns, conseils des autres, chacun découvre ses talents de bâtisseur, efforts physiques, réflexions intenses en attendant la pause désaltérante, la pose souvenir...
On Saturday we drove to Maricourt and spent a few hours catching the breeze, watching the day trickling away. Then we drove back home.
On Sunday we left early and headed for Ogden, a few miles shy of the US border. We were visiting an animal shelter, possibly deciding on a dog...and we may have found one. No, not the one pictured here—she was cute but didn't seem comfortable with cats. It’s an ongoing process.
A Milton;
who may become a Watson;
but who could still end up leaving with someone else.
I always found it amusing that KAGE in Japanese means a shape of light or shadow, whilst in danish its meaning is a lot less poetic. It simply means "cake". - So imagine my chuckle when I exported my images for my journal entry this morning, only to see the watermark being quite explicit as to what is going on.
Anyway. We're well into August by now, and school starts tomorrow. So we're pulling every last drop of that vacation feeling. After having a non-stop sun streak in Denmark since May 5th, weather has started to change. So indoor activities resume.
Nanna has grown so much. Both physically and mentally. I can almost feel her need for independence luring already. It's insane. She's only 9 years old.
It always remind me to make sure I document things. So I will have the memories preserved. Luckily she still doesn't mind me photographing her.
I sincerely fear the day when she no longer wishes for her picture to be taken by her father.
