I’m waking up to the babble of madly singing goldfinches from the deep bottom of a Peruvian hammock, swinging between two post oaks in Norman, Oklahoma. An oblong slice of blue sky and fresh oak leaves is all that’s visible from down here in the well of woven fabric: those oak leaves are bigger than mouse ears but still in the salad-green-tender stage. All I feel right now is gratitude for a warm moment of peace and a little clarity. Nothing restores the head like a long nap under the spring sun.
The prairie is returning to life and the chickens are booming again in Woodward. The sharp joy of hearing the chuck-will’s widow calling in the dusk yesterday evening, the yellow-billed cuckoo sounding off in the woods behind us this afternoon, the sawtooth song of the blue grosbeak right at this very moment- those sounds are precious in this time of not-normal. That’s what spring is for- to tune up nature’s music, to heal winter’s scars, and renew a sense of purpose and connection with the land.
“Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.”- Rachel Carson
Drawing The Motmot 
The one of your feet with the cat’s shadow is frameable!
Oh, THERE you are! Why didn’t I think to look at the bottom of a hammocky well? Silly me.
It all sounds wonderful to me 🙂
And I am basking in the glow of having had a nap, one of the three great naps of my life, in that same hammock with that same piece of sky and that same lil’ Gizmo on my lap. Thank you. Lovely bit of writing, keep it up!
(I’m tryin’ to quit Facebook today, with limited success. You’re my inspiration on that, with a push from Cindy.)
xoxo jz
Thanks, Debby, I needed that.
It’s nice to feel this moment with you. So much around to enjoy, so difficult to relax and let go. Love how the hammock swallows you up and your senses do the rest.
What a peaceful scene. We now know it was the calm before the storm! Love the last picture.
Thanks for sharing this experience in such vivid detail. The photos are amazing. Incredible that anything of value survived. We’re with you every step in recovery.
Dear Debby,
You are lucky to have this Blog thread to cherish– after “Surviving the Storm” and “A Most Unearthly Sound”.
Take care. Let us know what kind of assistance you need to get back on your feet after the storm. If you can hold firm with your homeowners insurance company you should be able to double or triple your payout from them. The people that settle last get the most. Or is this one of those “Act of God” cases where they can weasel out of paying anything? Hoping not. Take care.