Middle of Nowhere

Coming in from Nashville, we drove up the long driveway outside of Knoxville at 3:30am -- met by a dog we've come to love by the name of "Wolf," who is (appropriately) 25% wolf, mixed with German Shepherd. He's a beautiful, enormous, and enormously well-behaved dog who sauntered up to make sure we didn't meant any trouble for this mountain-top (gloriously) middle-of-nowhere homestead... And then he affectionally leaned into Justin and happily accepted our excited greetings. Wolf is the kind of dog that knows his masters' horses by name and can fetch them when necessary. He's ridiculously perceptive and loyal, and intelligent in a way that's almost unnerving. The kind of friend you like to have in the middle of the night on a mountain in the middle of nowhere in eastern Tennessee. :)

We're staying here with my aunt and uncle, two beautiful and loving folks who love animals almost as much as we do. (They also have a 1-year-old puppy who's beginning to take things over there on their mountain; she's 80% wolf and -- beautiful. Our camera's battery was down for the count during our visit, but we're going to have to snag some photos sometime...)

Anyway, when we woke up mid-morning it was a beautiful (if muggy) eastern TN day, and we got to spend it with great conversation, great food... and Justin was lured into a Rock Band challenge, which was hilarious. (I don't think Justin won.)

Being out here is enthralling, especially for us city kids. We're surrounded by sky and thick trees, and a thick silence which, after a while, reveals itself to be a symphony of forest sounds -- Along with the neighing of their horses, the baying of Ulysses the donkey from down the hill, the peacocks and rooster, the seemingly infinite variety of birds, the breeze through the trees, the far-off and unidentifiable animal sounds echoing from the surrounding mountains.

As I settled into the Summer quiet this afternoon out on the deck, I heard what then seemed a loud and steady hum nearby. It was a hummingbird, flitting closer and closer to me while I sat utterly still... Closer until I could feel the air from the beat of its wings. I was afraid it was going to light on me (which yes, in retrospect, is kind of funny) -- So I had to move a bit and scare her off. But what an amazing little gift. (That, and the opportunity to chat it up for a while with one of my aunt's horses...)
Oh I am so city, but if that allows this all to be received so gratefully I'll take it.

And while I'm at it, can I take a moment to say how awesome my family is?
They're so awesome.
My aunt and uncle here in Tennessee...
(They created space this evening for us all to take time to talk about this day seven years ago: Where we were, how the news came to us, how we and our families handled it, how deeply it impacted us. I think it that time tonight meant a lot more to Justin and I than I would have even expected.)
So we're grateful grateful grateful for them, and also for my immediate family spread about in Ohio and Indiana, and Justin's family around the midwest and the east coast...
We're two lucky folks, and we only see it more and more the more we travel.

Okay so in addition, while I'm feeling rather in love with the universe:
The campaign season can seem so divisive and sad, with the seeming gulf between one party and another, and those who support each --
But the more we travel, the more we see how incredible people are, how well-intending and gracious, how generous and hopeful, how active and community-oriented... regardless of who they're voting for. This has been incredibly beautiful to see, particularly in this season...
I'm not pulling this out of that "I'm-an-optimistic-artist" kind of place, because anyone who knows me well knows I'm not an optimist. (I tend to expect the worst and then downgrade my expectations from there.) :)

But I've seen a lot of beauty, community, and general Goodness in people from whom I thought I was very different. I've felt like I wanted to take notes for myself, to keep on-hand for worse days...
So.
Noted.