A Fray

According to an e-mail I received yesterday, a little duck and two eagles acted out a true drama on a little river. A man, living in a house on the shore happened to have a camera as he spotted the ongoing drama. Walt Disney would have been able to make a fantastic movie out of all that was going on.

The little duck was swimming, minding its own business when an eagle spotted it and decided it would make a nice dinner. The big old bird swooped down determined to have his way with the duck but the duck dived under water in perfect timing and escaped the talons as the big old bird screamed. The scene was repeated several times and the eagle was getting nowhere when a second eagle came upon the scene and decided it should have the duck for its dinner. Now the scene changes and the duck is forgotten for a second as the two eagles swooped, dived vertically, leveled out and and gathered high speed as they attacked each other. The battle went on and one eagle battered the other into submission and it fell into the water to die . . . but . . . the duck had front row seats and watched the flaying bird as it struggled to survive. It struggled on and on as the other eagle flew away tired of the game it played and forgot about the duck. Meanwhile the drowning eagle fought on, this symbol of America showed its strong will to live on and it spread its mighty wings and flew up into a tree and watched the little duck swim away. I love happy endings.

This is my last blog for a whole week. I'm not sure I'll have access to a computer, but even so, I think you all deserve a break from the Lady of Words. I am leaving tomorrow for a weeks vacation and will take my little camera along to record some of the adventures of traveling up the coast to the state of Washington where daughter Christine lives. I will be in the company of my daughter Patricia and my granddaughter Erin. What a treat as it is a first time in a lot of years that we three have traveled together.

I have been on the fence, so to speak, about traveling as it is something I really love to do but this year I have slowed down a pace or two and the inside says 'go' while the outside says 'I dare you.' I just figured out that if I don't go I will miss out on a small family reunion with my girls and that would be a shame. I'll be thinking of you and after a weeks rest you may be anxious to share my adventures.

Yesterday I had a visitor, a lovely lady who used to be in my writers group. She and her husband went to Ecuador and stayed seven months. They now have visas so they can go back and will for the next two years earning another visa so they can stay there if the choose. It was interesting to hear all about the villages and the cities where they met friendly people, happy people, who take time out to help a stranger. Joyce and Ken do not speak Spanish, although Joyce is bent on learning their language. She had tales to tell to make you laugh out loud and her enthusiasm was catching as she told of their experiences. It sounded like they were living back in the forties and fifties when neighbors were open and friendly and helpful. A time when family was very important and your beliefs were your creed for living. They live in a house designed from the Hobbit stories and love it. Joyce brought me a tiny woven basket that has beautiful colors and a fish key chain made from the flower of a tree. It was fascinating to see the flower which is more like a large nut of mahogany color with a design in it. It was really a beautiful nut and the inside is like ivory. It is hand carved and so unique. She wore a pair of jeans that were well made and fit smoothly and showed me that they stretch so the material looks like denim but different than anything I've seen here. Good quality and stretches so you have not problem getting them on or off. She did mention that they have a huge market to shop at and flowers are very important to the natives there and are sold cheaply so everyone has flowers on their tables. The food is different and one has to be careful until they get used to it. I gather food poisoning is common to the traveler, like Montezuma revenge we hear about when you travel to the Islands or Mexico. It was a great visit and she has promised to keep in touch and will send me more e mails about Ecuador. I've been invited to visit but I know that far travel is not in my future. I'll be lucky to make this week.

So today, think about where you would like to visit and start a savings plan so you can. Enjoy your week and try not to miss me too much.....I will be back. Such ego, such pride, such gall . . . well, what can I say . . . I know . . . I'll be back! Hugs to all.