Low tide, but turning

 

Since Friday morning I have been entertaining a world-class head cold, no other symptoms, thank you. For me it's the kind of thing that requires stillness. I have been sitting in the stitching chair looking out at the Island Jungle or in the darkened bedroom watching the Olympic surfers in Tahiti with the sound off. 

I let the Island go totally wild this year. Just off camera to the right, there are 10-foot-high pokeberry trees and some other unknown shrubby stuff taking advantage of the runoff from the neighbor's slightly elevated yard. None of the flower seeds I scattered in the spring stood a chance.

Colin stepped outside for a smoke and our resident doe spooked away right in front of him but she stood snorting and pawing in the driveway because she had hidden her fawn(s?) out there. The cats don't even venture in there anymore. 

It teems with butterflies and birds and lots of things unseen. Snakes, of course. Cocoons and larval stages of everything. Come late Fall, I will make some hard decisions about paying for professional help before shrubs become trees. I imagine it drives my Mango maniac-supporting neighbor across the street crazy. Wait until she sees the HARRIS sign I'm going to put out there.

The waters off Tahiti sport my favorite range of cool blues. I understand the need for the safety of the surfers - the waters at the break are shallow and the coral reefs are punishingly sharp. And it is French Polynesia. But if you have ever felt the power of the ocean lift and carry you while you balance on a slab of wood and plastic, these waves look tame compared to the majesty of the surf around the Hawaiian Islands. 

To be clear, the only time I ever surfed was in the freezing waters off Race Point, Cape Cod MA on a rented long board and not enough sense to wear a wetsuit. I will always remember that lift and launch.

Last year, I was captivated by the Eddie Aikau Invitational and the fairytale story of the winner, Luke Sheperdson who took a lunch break from his life-saving job to nab the wave that made him the winner. And then, he went back to his day job. 

Today I'm going to try to get in the pool for a bit before the cloud cover from Debby takes hold. I had planned a dyefest for this week, but I don't have the energy. There's still plenty of August left. 

In all this quiet, there has been a running conversation between a precocious girl child and a spectral Barbary ape.