Quotedium Update 903.51.7.zii

I had to look up today’s word — apricity — and I like it a LOT. It’s a phenomenon I appreciate often when I’m out in the Big Empty on a winter day. And that, as we know, is one of my favorite things. It’s lovely to walk into a cold wind and then, turn around and feel instead the warmth of the winter sun on my back. Here in the Bark of Beyond everything is a little extreme and in winter, if you happen to be outside visiting with a neighbor, you want to stand in the sun. In summer? The opposite. Everyone runs for shade.

Yesterday the Maniac Alien from Hell (aka Teddy Bear T. Dog) and I went out for a cautious ramble. Cautious because of the numerous crane tourists. The cranes are also here in full force, and hanging out mainly in small ponds in the middle of the meadows some distance from the road. I doubt I will ever have the miracle of Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 when very few people came down here and the cranes, the dogs, and I had the place mostly to ourselves. That year the cranes stayed less apart. It was as if we were partners in a mysterious migration.

Teddy and I first headed toward the west, away from the wind, but when a couple of SUVs spotted a large group within lens distance, they pulled over, blocking the way. I know better than to take Teddy into a forest of new people, tripods, and expensive cameras. It’s all good. The cranes are a major part of the economy of my Valley, as I learned this year in an interview with one of the Festival coordinators who gave me the numbers.

As we were walking I noticed our friends approaching. I was happy to see them and curious about what Teddy would do. It’s the first time he’s met them since he and Bear dragged me down in a hurry to say “Hi!” to them. They and Teddy were great. The Halti made it possible for me to stop Teddy from pulling me or rushing toward them. Sharon grabbed his little feet when he jumped up on her (one step at a time) and told him what a good dog he was. We had a nice conversation and no one got hurt.

I was very grateful for their “help” in training that small but mighty force of nature.

“You probably won’t see us here this weekend,” Tom said. “We don’t like crowds.” I know what they meant. In a lot of places, the people who come to the Crane Festival don’t constitute a crowd. But out here?

“I’m going to be working in the Visitor Center a couple hours on Friday,” I said.

“You ARE?”

“Yeah.” I honestly don’t know why, but when the opportunity presented itself, I took it. It should be pretty painless, but who knows. “But, you know, I didn’t move here because I like people.”

They laughed. We’ve talked about China, Southern California and this remote and empty valley. “No, I guess not,” said Sharon.

“Covid really changed me,” I said. “Or revealed me. Not sure.”

Sharon nodded and chuckled in total comprehension. No one wants that to come back, but, at the same time, for some people — me, them (I first encountered them in 2021) it unexpectedly improved some aspects of life.

I like that so many people love the cranes so much that they will travel to my valley — to which there is little or no public transportation — from all over the world — and some come every year. It’s pretty wonderful even though I’ll be glad when it’s over.

https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/03/07/rdp-tuesday-apricity/