Hawk!

Last night we had a hawk sitting in the grass in the backyard. He was holding his wing funny and just hopped under our bushes when we entered the yard. We called the wildlife people, but they couldn't find their raptor tech. Eventually the hawk hopped out and sat on a log behind my herb garden. We sat and waited for a call, about an hour, there are neighborhood cats dumb enough to try that bird as a snack. Big as a cat himself! He watched us, and we watched him. We called the raptor rehab, but they don't have the resources to come do a capture. So the lady said she'd walk Larry through catching the hawk. Larry was game, he has experience catching wild owls (long story). He shooed the bird out from behind the flowerbed... hop hop hop and suddenly he flew into the pine trees behind us. The first wildlife gal said sometimes they eat too much and can't fly, but we think he flew into something like our cables and stunned himself or wrenched a wing and needed to rest. Cool that he is okay, but I couldn't get good pictures; I didn't want to get too close in case I spooked him.

Cancer Sucks.

So I had a great time at Burning Man. I wish I could escape back to that dusty utopia, and soon.

My SIL in WV went into surgery on the Friday we drove to the desert. Ovarian cancer, stage three or four. She is home now and will begin chemo soon. She was healthy six months ago. Crap, huh? Not good news. That's a slow death sentence in most cases.

When we came back, there was an email saying my friend who ran the local freecycle group had died of pancreatic cancer. Crap. I knew she'd been in chemo, but she'd told us all things were going well. They may have been. Not well enough.

Just last night, I found out my dad has some type of cancer, found through blood and bone tests. I don't know what stage, much less what type as yet. The SIL will go with him to the doctor on Friday to get the full scoop. I will post then. Maybe. I'm raw from all the cancer in my loved ones. I just lost my favorite brother in Decemeber, toss mom's death in from 2005 (heart disease) and my oldest brother in 2001 from colon cancer, and well, I'm tired of it. No wonder my 86 year old father isn't going to put up with much in the way of treatment. He has lost too many too fast and simply wants to join mom.

Ironiclly, I just had a mammogram and go in a week from Friday for my last oncology visit. If my mammo is clear, I am a five year survivor. I won the cancer lottery. I am living in fear of what my own body may try to kill me with next.

Crap, cancer sucks the big one, sucks it hard. Fuck cancer.

Wayward Art and a costume

Almost Home. Pardon the poor quality pics, I was shooting in low light.

Raspberry Barvarian and Zucchini Fritters ...

... and Ginger-Orange-Oatmeal cookies. Needed more crystallized ginger, but chopping it up is a pain.



While I normally don't "do" fried foods, the neighbor's gift of giant zucchini meant I couldn't steam them. The big ones are ... weird when steamed. I suck at making zucchini bread, so I went with fritters. Couldn't find my coarse grater, had to whip out the Japanese cleaver and do a LOT of fine slicing. yes, they were delicious with poppyseed dip. Yes, that's a combo of olive and canola oils. Tasty, MyLarry really enjoyed them.

In this summer heat, the raspberries go over-ripe on a hurry. You have to cook with them, so I gave a Bavarian a shot. I made mistakes. I should have set aside a little whipped cream for garnish. I don't care, it is a tasty beast. I even grew the strawberries!

And don't look at my kitchen too closely, the camera adds ten pounds ... of dirt!

The wheels on the bus...

At 100 degrees and the swamp cooler laboring, I find it too hot to write much. So you get pictures of the wheels of the happy Hippie bus.

Goodbye Cricket.

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Could I be any lamer?

On a whim, I googled myself. I knew my real names, married and maiden, wouldn't bring up much, there's more impressive Margarets out there than I. Ah, but maggiemayday and Anti M? Both are names of bands, those come up first. Anti M has all sorts of antibody links. As for the rest, well, it is a good thing I'm not job hunting. I'm blushing a bit over my fangirl tendencies. Just so ... geeky. At least I don't go to cons. But you know I would if Burning Man and Dragoncon weren't held on the same weekend. I'd love to see Deb and just unleash my inner fangirl with her as a guide. Geeez. Never going to happen, I may be geeky, but I drank the Kool-Aid in the desert, LOL.

As for the burner stuff, hell, not an eyeblink. I am proud to be a burner, I'm one hell of an outsider artist, and like all jaded old burners, a rockstar. All burners are rockstars. That's the beauty of a radically inclusive community, we all have something to contribute. I must say, I stand in awe of my burner friends, they really, really are rockstars. I mean, Apokiliptika, the Booby Bar, Zsu-Zsu, U-Me, Barbie death Camp, the mutant vehicles, the art installations? I can't begin to have that type of expertise and energy. Although I am pleased my modest Home for Wayward Art is a huge hit. That means expectations, and we all know how expectations work in the desert dust. They do not.

Busy summer. I've slacked off on the art, but I truly need to pick up the paintbrush. The trip to San Diego is bad timing, but we all agree the four of us need the break. The kids will be moving into a new house two days after we come back. Then there's Baby Burner Bootcamp to teach the newbies gently and hands on what the Ten Principles mean. Leave No Trace sounds easy until you're picking up feathers and sequins from the ground. In June we have the Utah burn, Element 11 (sodium, salt lake, get it?). Not only do I have the Home for wayward Art, I'm on fire safety as the fuel master with MyLarry, and I'll be one of the co-Artery coordinators. That volunteer position makes me nervous, I don't know exactly what the Utah artery will do, a work in progress. Then July will have Z coming in for a visit. August into September is Burning man, and of course that means art, art, art, prep prep prep. Feels good to have so much going on, but I am stressing just a hair. I shouldn't I have plenty of support. Hawaii in January is beginning to look really great to me!