Learning to love a river

Written last night:
Dear Friends,

I like to relax on weekends, and today I relaxed by going places. It’s only 7:30 p.m., but I’m tired and Zing! is already in his bed. This morning we went to the Farmers Market and got citrus fruit, grapes and pink tulips. We took some to Patrick and Steph but got held up by road repair and a bicycle race in Land Park. That made me a little late, but not too much, for the book discussion at the Crocker — about a mystery called A Head in Cambodia, by a woman who was once a curator at the Crocker. The book is not my favorite, and I said so. The author will be speaking here Thursday, and our group is going, but they told me I cannot say anything! I said Can I ask her about Ohio? because the book is published by Ohio University Press, and they said, well, OK… 

Later in the afternoon Zing! and I showed Sandy “our" trail along the American River. The water is usually blue, but today it was muddied. We met a fisherman. “Do you catch fish here?” Sandy asked him, and I know what she meant … it seems a peaceful and uneventful spot. He was indeed fishing, but maybe there weren’t any fish. He assured us that he does indeed catch fish. “What kind?” we persisted. He said he’s fishing for striped bass, and the season before that, salmon, and before that steelhead trout and before that shad.  He showed us two gigantic salmon that he caught. I think he said one was 24 pounds. I had no idea the peaceful American River contains these. 

And to make the point that the place is wild,  as we turned back to the car we spotted a coyote. There were several people in the area and none seemed worried, but Zing! was trembling with excitement and low growls. He pulled against his leash. A runner passed by and said, “That coyote would snap him up for a snack.” We held tight to Zing! and noticed that the coyote seemed to edge away — he was far to begin with, but didn’t come any closer. And then he spotted another small dog, and backed away even more. Whew! maybe that’s why Zing! is sound asleep so early.

Love, 

k