Archive for ‘July, 2008’

My chair

I’m sitting in the chair as I write – laptop on my lap, although in the interest of integrity, this post will appear the day after the writing… But, it is a blustery morning as a cold front is moving through. A few clouds are shadowing the morning sun at 8 a.m., the wind is blowing through the pines and it feels like it should be a stormy day even though the forecast is only for wind ahead of the front. Still, I love sitting in this chair, in a corner of my sunroom where I can see sky, trees and mountains and with windows open all around can hear the wind in the pines and at least imagine a dark, stormy day.

I’ve had this chair for 22 years. It has needed to be recovered for at least 11 years. The chair doesn’t look that bad in the photo, but up close – my beloved cat (first cat), Gus, used the arms for scratching posts. There are other runs in the fabric on the upper wings. I don’t typically notice. The ottoman, however, has deteriorated badly in the last year… It has been sun faded for a bit but in the last year…

…that cord is starting to bother me.

These pieces are well made Ethan Allen pieces, although ironically, the chair seat is too “short” for my height. I knew it when I received it, but I had ordered it special and we’d measured and I don’t know what happened. I have always loved the fabric and the wing back chair and ottoman were chosen to mimic a favorite chair and ottoman in my grandmother’s house. The only way I’m comfortable in the chair is with my feet and legs on the ottoman – but that is the point of the ottoman after all.

I bought these pieces when I was still living in apartments in Los Angeles. I don’t remember sitting in this chair much until I moved to Montana. In the first house I owned in Montana, the chair always faced the fireplace. It was at that time that I started spending a quiet half hour in the morning – praying, reading, listening. My dog Zack and cat Gus were with me – Zack on the floor beside the ottoman and Gus on my lap. Gus was a “neck hugger” – he would often wrap his paws around my neck and bury his head under my chin…my angel cat.

In the second house, the chair was in a corner surrounded by windows. I could see the wood stove and the fire in that house from the chair, but mostly I remember the company of Gus, Karl by now, and the view of trees, the hill behind the house and the sky.

Now, the chair is in the sunroom of this little house. The woodstove is in a different room although when it’s going I can hear the comforting sounds of the wood fire.

Everyday I look at the worn and frayed ottoman and think, “I really ought to do something about that.” I think about a new chair which would probably be the easiest thing to do – but I love this chair… I think about calling an upholsterer, but I would have to be without the chair for awhile and pick a new fabric. I do nothing about my chair. Despite it’s appearance, it remains my favorite place in the house to sit and think, write, read, pray, listen…in the company of my dog and cat.

My chair.

…and, another time, the story of the lampshade with the bullet holes…

Paradise

Paradise, Montana that is… The Clark Fork River Valley is a beautiful river valley west of Flathead Valley. The drive there is along Flathead Lake for 25 miles and then east over the southern Bitterroots to Plains and then Paradise, Montana. We drove to several high points and along the river.

A day in Paradise.

Opportunity aka taking a chance

Two weeks ago I linked from another blog to Daily Coyote by Shreve Stockton. The tag lines on the blog are:

“Charlie came into my life when he was just ten days old, orphaned after both his parents were killed. He lives with me and a tomcat in Wyoming. “

Charlie is a wild born coyote, dumped on her doorstep. I am not a fan of wild animals for pets, but that is not what happened and the author, Shreve Stockton, has been very clear and direct about the risk and difficulty, but also honest about her inability to let the pup just die. It is one of those things that strikes me as a kind of crossroads-opportunity that ultimately shapes your life in ways you could not imagine…at least that is what I glean from what I read. She has a book coming out in the fall and I’m looking forward to it – the photos on her blog are beautiful, charming and tell a story themselves. Her writing evokes a sense of her intelligence, observation and openness to opportunity – understanding and considering the risks and being willing to live and learn from her choices. Through her photos and writing she has become to me a person I would love to meet.

Last Thursday, Owen Ford and her site H.O.P.E.S. were introduced on the Daily Coyote site. H.O.P.E.S. is a non-profit ~ Helping Our Planet’s Endangered Species. Owen Ford is a 13 year old girl. Owen set up H.O.P.E.S. to raise money for WWF (World Wildlife Fund) by selling her artwork. Wow! It is not all that easy to put yourself out there with an organization to raise money for a cause you are passionate about as an adult. At an age when most are thinking only about themselves and what they can get and have and do, this young woman is spending her time researching, reading, working, networking and accepting help. Another person I would love to meet!

I would like to encourage everyone who enjoys From the Front Porch to use the links above and meet these people via their blogs and if so inclined, there is information on H.O.P.E.S. about the auction of her art that Owen is using to raise money for WWF as well as the opportunity to donate directly should you have an interest in doing that. I hugely admire people who live their lives with passion and authenticity and I believe Owen Ford and Shreve Stockton do that – hope you enjoy their sites as much as I do!

Karl and Bob say “Go WWF, Go Owen, Hey to Charlie and Shreve – also Eli (the tomcat) and Chloe (new puppy)”!

Dogs in the sand (from the archives)

Karl and his friend Bella, a 1/2 Karelian-1/2 Yellow Lab – April 2003 on Flathead Lake while the lake was at its pre-runoff low. We got to the sand from Somers. The dogs ran in the sand, seemingly just for the joy of running.

It was one of those idyllic mornings – still, beautiful, serene.

Moon shots

In the early morning hours for the past week, the moon has been bright in the southern sky. Karl and I usually head down the driveway for our early “perimeter patrol” about 5 a.m. He wears his lighted collor (neon blue LED strip) and I carry a flashlight but I don’t like to turn it on unless I really need it. A month past the equinox, it is still fairly dark at 5 a.m. but with the recent bright morning moonshine, the moonbeams through the trees have been plenty of light.

It was hot yesterday, topping out at just below 90. Forecast clouds kept the temp above 60 all night and this morning, the air was still and a bit heavy for Montana. That extra bit of humidity, the stillness, the crickets – summer sounds that signal a warm day and hopefully some rain. But it was the clouds around the bright, morning moon that inspired me to get the camera AND the tripod and see what I could capture. More and more frequently, I have been shooting in manual mode and feeling every more comfortable with my ability to get the exposure I’m looking for – helped by a little camera that has some great “through the viewer” meters. The first photo above was cropped and lightened a bit. The photos below are cropped but otherwise straight out of the camera.

Looking up

And, of no particular relevance to the photos or looking up…all morning, I’ve had this song running through my mind:

Slow down, you move too fast
You’ve got to make the morning last
Just kickin’ down the cobble stones
Looking for fun and feelin’ groovy!
(La,la,la,la,la,la, feelin’ groovy)
….
Got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy!

The 59th Bridge Street Song, “Feelin’ Groovy” – Simon and Garfunkel

Hope you and yours are “feelin’ groovy” this Monday morning and that things are “looking up” in whatever you are doing.