The Big Apple and my Come Hither Sweater

 It sure is something to be in the big city!  Here are David's windows! (We hoped the tape would keep the window glass together if it broke in the storm—didn't break! Even better.)

 David's roommate H put all the houseplants directly under the leaks in the ceiling—Saving water and protecting the floors!

Close up of plant and moisture.

 This is the house pet, Gerald (Jerry for short).  He's a very tiny turtle.  This barely qualifies as a descriptive photo.

Jerry's tank—I'm told that most visitors to New York don't get to see this thing in action!  I get the backstage tour...

The come hither sweater (remember the title?) is somewhat unrelated.  I'm still trying to work out just what the come-hither sweater would look like, and how it would beckon you.

Imperiled

Although it is not in the shape of Yemen (see this cool Cactus Tractor blog!) my trip to New York has certainly proved interesting.  To start things off right I missed my connecting flight in Phoenix—

 (I was uploading pictures to facebook)

—and therefore spent a good deal of time in the airport drawing and listening to the CNN news.  This was when I first heard the term "Frankenstorm." I joked with my new friend (an airport employee) about getting stuck on the East coast if I didn't miss my rescheduled flight to Newark, New Jersey.    We both laughed and I resumed drawing this (which airport friend totally didn't know what to say about):

Inspired by Brandon putting an apple seed in his pocket (knowingly) "for later."

Distracting as this was, I did manage to get on the plane to Newark.  Then I took the train to New York, learning as I did, that both New Jersey and New York have a Penn Station, which could be confusing, but luckily I am a suave and careful traveler who doesn't make these silly mistakes—multiple times in one day.  Finally I found David, my brother, in the city and ate a bunch of food after my fourteen hour fast (which really doesn't seem fast).

Yesterday David and I met up with Stephen Perry who enjoyed eating everyone's breakfast.

David, Stephen, Chiliquiles, French Toast, Pancakes (out of frame) and Syrup on Sunday Morning.

It's possible that Stephen was storing up calories for the impending storm.  That's right, Frankenstorm!  Due to Hurricane Sandy the metro's were closed last night, flights in and out were canceled (mine among them) and everyone bought toilet paper and water.  David, roommates and I hunkered down in their awesomely hobbity apartment and watched the Karate Kid.

Today we're still hunkering.  

Bird Goddess

Hyatt Reservoir, kinda.

I have a great adventure to write about here, but basically I saw some kick-ass trees growing out of a lake, and a bunch of cormorants too.  I'll try to write about it soon!

earth bike

Several feet above the ground.

Lift off.

I am overflowing with self expression. My floor is flooded with all the things I have ever tried to say. And the back of my spine, well, it's trying to remember where I shelved the books. Was it the 5th vertebrae, or in the attic under the lamp with the long orange extension chord?

In trying to examine the logistics of this sudden flood in relation to the history of critical drought I find myself creaking to such a stop. I think of kindling (all the pieces and ideas and thoughts that are pulling towards the same ecstatic fire) and I think of the breath that breaks them into flame (I have been drawing in breath for ever so long). It's almost as if I have stopped.

Is it like the series of photographs above? I wanted to keep going up and up and up. But there was a limit to my gravity-less-ness. I need something to hang on to. To convince you.

And maybe that's when the fire will start. The books will never be found, but they'll start to own their own space like a magnet or dark matter. An invisible weight. It cannot be explained but suddenly ---Ah!