The White Owl.

Deep in a midnight forest paces a white owl. She hops from branch to branch, thinking all the while. There is a field mouse braiding blades of grass together in a clearing not far from here. She knows this mouse. So close, so accessible...


The field mouse hasn't done any wrong to her directly, of course. It's gnawed on the roots at the base of the tree in which the owl has built her nest. When strong winds blow, things are uneasy. It's always in the back of her mind. Of all their minds. This, she knows.


How easy it would be to swoop down, snatch up the problematic rodent and rip it to shreds with her majestic bill. How wonderful. But. Would it really solve her problem? Would it repair the shredded roots?


The owl takes off from the branch, silent silvery feathers turning her into a whisp of a being. Talons unfurl and muscles tighten in ecstacy of the hunt...



But clawtips barely brush fur. At the last second, she raises her feet, tucking them into the down of her underbelly as she banks sharply to the right and ascends into the branches again. Yellow eyes stare down at the field mouse, panicked but still alive.


It is not the owl's place to bring justice to the world this way. Feathers bristle anxiously on her neck. She hoots lowly. She'll fix her nest and forget about the mouse. Forget.



And so she takes off into the night.

gobble gobble.

Annual Thanksgiving Week Thankful!post.

It's sort of a tradition for me; I've done a post like this every year since I started blogging. It's not whether or not anyone reads it, it's mostly a reflection for myself. But if you enjoy it, then even better.

BEING THANKFUL...

- For art. In general. For being something to look at, something to think about and something to do.

- For my coworkers and superiors who are absolute sweethearts to me and make working not such a horrible, painful chore all the time, even though I complain about it.

- For my family, because they are nothing short of amazing and I don't know where I'd be without them and their support. Even Biscuit, who chews on my shoes and wires.

- For inside jokes, because they make me lolololololololol on a daily basis.

- For RIC, especially the art center, a magical place with collectable particles that feels like a second home.

- For my old friends, who despite being away at other colleges have maintained contact and are always good for conversation.

- For my new friends, because they are epic people I wouldn't want to have to live without.

- For Nicole, my partner-in-crime and someone who gets me on every level imaginable. Team DNPWWO can read each other's minds and always has a leash in hand. We predict the future together via astrology, and I can't wait to watch that over-expensive TV system at her house next to my swamp.

- For Kyle, without whom Project Tricycle wouldn't be able to funciton or exist. I feel as if I can tell him everything and anything... It was a fateful day, that September afternoon, where three lives were changed over Coloraid and bristol board! Jeez louise!

- For Dave, who has taught me what it means to be truly loved. I never thought I'd meet (or deserve) someone who can still make me feel so warm and fluttery inside even after all this time. Compatibility doesn't get much more perfect than this. ... Even though I'm not Spiderman.

- For scarves, penguins, dragons, videogames, jinglebells, animals, beads, druids, music, my car and other things that simply make me happy.

- For the way everything has played out and seemingly locked into place. I've always stood by my 'everything happens for a reason' view, and it has never been truer than this past year.

<3

Always thinking about something weird.

There's this strange habit I have. When there's a lull in my thoughts and I happen to know what time it is, I will calculate where I will be or where I have been at that exact time plus or minus 12 hours. Usually twelve. Sometimes 24. If I'm looking forward to something particularly exciting, it can stretch to 36 or 48 hours. Like, "Only 30 hours until I see..." Then the calculation expands to "6 of those hours will be for sleeping and 7 of them will be for school, so..." Or, "At this time tomorrow..."

Like right now. It's Tuesday the 18th, half past noon. Twelve hours ago I was asleep: I went to bed early because World of Warcraft was denying me my server and I didn't feel like being awake anymore. Twelve hours from now, I bet I'll still be up. There's a lot I want to do after work. Twenty four hours ago, I was glazing a few of my ceramic pieces and nearly dropped one in the bucket. A week ago, I had barely been awake for an hour and was nestled between two sources of warmth in my partner-in-crime's art room.

How time changes.

Madness? Maybe.

Get your coats, we're leaving.

I've never had so many events to look forward to before. Planning has been bumped to December, which is already looking exciting.

Wow.