28 November 2002 - 16:28

Whatever today means to you, enjoy it. That's always true.

The Missouri sky is baby blue. The gradually dipping sun turns everything brown and rosy in a way I haven't seen lately. Golden tinges from passing between forests' branches on undulating hills, the whole horizon 'round. The hills ever present. Everything is earthy.

This may be the last Thanksgiving I spend here with my nuclear family for a while, the last of an unbroken chain, but I don't think about it and no one mentions it.

A large flock of migrating geese arrived early this morning and have stayed all day. They split their time between the lake and the lawn. We noticed three deer today at different times.

I vaguely watched the parade on TV while still wearing my night gown. I made deviled eggs. Dad made a wonderful meal, mmmm, fresh turkey and stuffing and mashed potatos with gravy, biscuits with their honey, green beans and mom and Michael's cranberry relish. We had local grape juice and they had wine. We ate until we knew we ought to stop, and then my brother and I ate a bit more.

We do these things every year. I'm glad.

Soon there will be pumpkin pie with coffee, and maybe whipped cream or ice cream.

The deer just came down to the lake to drink, five of them.

I almost wish I could be content here.

There are so many dolphins... so very, very many dolphins.

The last time I really noticed that, and marvelled, the dolphins were in Sarasota Bay. Now they're where I found them first: on-line. I can (do) websurf for endless fascinated hours and find endless permutations of the human-dolphin drama. Strange stories, all different. Dolphins as messangers to bring unconditional love to human kind. Dolphins as alien and other, dolphins as close cousins. Dolphins as research subjects; Phoenix and Ake, Hiapo and Elele (may she rest in peace) seen through the eyes of so many paying volunteers. Dolphins as the unreachable. Dolphins as the ultimate sexual fantasy creatures. Dolphins as a cause to fight. Dolphins as a marketing opportunity. Dolphins as a life-long dream. Dolphins as other selves or true selves; absolution and fulfillment.

Humans are strange and fascinating. I want to understand this strange dream and solve it for myself.