. . .I love you where you go
through the night, not swerving,
clear as the indigo
bunting in her flight,
passing over two
thousand miles of ocean.

~ Excerpt from “The Indigo Bunting,” by Robert Bly

Groggy waking and the dull sky, of course, rain! (Tonight a friend, a reader of this blog sent me a wonderful poem by John O’Donahue, “In Praise of Water,” a lovely gesture!) Frank left for airport. I decided to take a half-hour run in the wet woods and that’s what I did. It had stopped raining. The fish, even more of them, dead at the brook; quite discouraging and it’s unclear to me what’s happening. I took a very slow run, but ran three miles, and for a first run this summer I was satisfied. It was a busy Monday. I didn’t get into the garden until the afternoon when I picked all the ripe squash and some cherry tomatoes for my dinner. There was, as you can see, an abundance of zucchini and yellow squash and I was happy that a friend in Dover, mother of three growing children, wanted some, and I drove them over. Want squash? If you live near me, you’re welcome to as much as you please! it was good to get back into the garden; yes, plenty of weeds, which I will tend to when it’s dry. (Tomorrow will be dry!) A delightful thing happened just after dinner: I opened the screen door to step onto the deck and saw the departure of a bird I’ve never seen before-a startling beauty of color. In my head, I said, “That’s an indigo bunting!” Well, why did that name come to mind, just like that? I looked it up, and yes, that’s what I saw! It’s so wonderful when the names of plants and birds we don’t even know we know pop up, just like that, as if they are part of some intuitive, inborn knowing. Oh, my sweet cherries. I sauteed them with fresh spinach and salmon. Yum. Also, I revised a poem I’ve brought to my Thursday morning workshop, it’s fairly new. Brought it tonight. Very well received. Feels done. I have two days to write a new one for Thursday. I found out they have canceled the triathlon I was going to do with my daughter. But we will simply do our own. Another happy thing: this book, “Fox and I,” on audible is just delightful and moving and interesting. The memoir is based on the author’s reclusive life in Montana. She is a biologist and her recounting of her life and experience with wildflowers and animals and environment in this wild place is fascinating. As is her quirky personality and her intimate friendship with this fox. Sky clearing and an indigo bunting and a poem that was universally praised. Well. A good Monday. A great Monday. A grateful Monday.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Indigo_Bunting/overview