Did your mom teach
you that old verse like my mom did? “Red at night/Sailors delight/Red in the
morning/Sailors take warning.” The sky is not red tonight but a faintly pink color
that is a bit eerie. Perhaps if there weren’t buildings and trees in the way, I
could see a glorious pink-and-gold sunset. Or perhaps it is that strange
pre-storm color that the sky sometimes gets. We supposedly have a chance of a
storm later tonight.
Nothing to blog
about tonight. It’s been a work day, with my nose at the computer most of the
day, and now I’m ready to settle down with that Anne Hillerman novel I’m
reading. A small online group I belong to has had a fascinating discussion of
Anne H.’s attempts to carry on her father’s literary legacy and series of
mysteries set in the Four Corners area of New Mexico, mostly in Navajo country.
My naïve thought
that she was doing a good job and seemed to understand Navajo culture in a way
that few outsiders do was brought up short by opinions that her books were not
as interesting, and she really didn’t know the culture. Until someone pointed
out she was writing from the feminine point of view, and as is true of many of cultures,
the female experience is very different from the male. I had initially praised
her for bringing Bernadette (Bernie) Manuelito, a minor character in her father’s
books, to center stage.
The group consensus
finally settled on the fact that her writing from the female point of view brings
a new dimension to the series and that she understands the culture well enough
to differentiate between the gender experiences. I think I pretty much agree,
but the discussion carried me into the book, Cave of the Bones, with a whole new critical eye. So far, I’m
enjoying it.
Jordan invited me
in for Mexican casserole tonight, but my mind was set on scrambled eggs with
chopped scallion, tomato, and some of the smoked salmon I have in the fridge.
When Jordan was out watering, she got to talking to the neighbor behind me, and
somehow the result was that I got fresh eggs for my supper. So good!
I do enjoy
watching the chickens, though the only place I can see them is out my bathroom
window. Today one was on the roof of their pen. I’ve watched them fly up to
perch on a bar inside the pen but never seen one up that high before. They free
range a lot, whenever the family is home to watch them. There were brown eggs
in the ones I got tonight which confirms, to me, that gold or brown hens lay
brown eggs. Never thought I’d be so fascinated by chickens.
Too dark to watch
chickens now, so I’m going back to my book. Pray for rain, y’all.
