didn’t pound

Last night, I slept and my heart didn’t pound. In the morning, I could hear the rain lightly knocking on the roof of the tent and seamlessly mixing in with the sounds of river. I went back to the same campground as my recent solo adventure this time with my partner in tow. We filled out pieces of flying wish paper, reading them out loud to each other before carefully setting them on fire. We explored each campsite, plotting future trips and taking pro/con notes for our favorite spots. I obsessed with trying to pick every salmonberry I could find and reach, leaning out and pulling bushes closer to me. I love going somewhere you already plan to return to and to feel the way memories can layer on top of each other. I remember during COVID how impossible it felt to dream and how blank it left my mind. I finished a wood carving project (another spootula) and began a second (a tiny spoon). We popped into town for dinner, splitting chicken enchiladas and still bubbling with excitement to have so much time outside. We turned in early before the sun was down, knowing the long WA summer days can be quite deceptive.

This last photo is my favorite and I meant to take a duplicate with my “nice” camera. It has the feeling of a portal into another very green world, a symbol of what this jaunt outside was for us both.