BACK TO THE BUSH

24 October 2003

There were no dogs romping over bushes, no roos hopping up the hill, no pink and greys seranading us from the "bird tree," but the scene was familiar.

I was on a single-file path through a field that was not dissimilar to the bush. The feet I was following were my mother's. The vegetation was similar to bush in spots--but with palm trees.

We had a very quiet day today. Some had errands to run or appointments to make, but my mother, Walt's mother and I sat at home all day. It was warm, so we stayed inside, alternately reading and snoozing. Close to sundown, the weather was very cool, so my mother and I went out for a walk along the area that borders Alice Nan's condo. On the far side is a golf course, and beyond that, the ocean. Way off in the distance is the campus of UC Santa Barbara.

But I couldn't help but reminisce and think that one week ago, at just about exactly the same time (it was early morning in Australia when we were taking our walk), I was watching Keno and Chippa romping through the bush. I missed it.

I decided this afternoon that I have had entirely too much Patricia Cornwell. Just before I left Perth, Peggy and I found a display of all of Cornwell's latest Kay Scarpetta mystery, "Blow Fly." It's been a long, dry spell between Scarpetta books and we both pounced on the display and each of us bought a copy of the new book.

I've been reading it for the past several days and decided that it's not one of her best. There are too many parallel stories all leading up to the big climax, which comes about 4 pages from the end and is kind of a "yeah....so???" sort of climax. I was disappointed.

However just the act of following the book has obviously affected me. During one of my dozes, I dreamed I was in a barn talking on the phone with Olivia when someone came and tied me up and started to put a rag around my mouth, when I realized that they were about to execute me, so I started yelling "I'm talking to my attorney! She'll be a witness!" and then managed to escape and run away, joining up with a bunch of Oriental tourists who, coincidentally, where walking up the street about two blocks from Peggy's house, where I figured I'd be safe.

I think I need to read something less "tense" for a change!