Willow went on her first real outing today. Jen and I took her to Hidden Villa. The temperature hovered around 80 degrees and we could smell the blossoming plant life all around us. The creek rushed and burbled down through the farm and away towards the bay. Quail and Robins played. Newts floated serenely in the pond (all except the one I briefly caught, who acted affronted and flopped pointedly back into the water). Banana slugs, who have to be the least camouflaged creatures on earth, lurked off to the side of the trail. Willow slept curled up in Jen's sling, and everybody who passed us remarked on how small she was. A couple walking the other way, with a two week old son, stopped and chatted for a moment. It's funny to think that Willow, who will be five weeks old tomorrow, should actually be about a month younger than this little baby, but due to circumstances beyond our control, is older. We got some good pictures (hopefully) of her in the natural light up on the hillside. On the way back to the van we stopped to look at the new baby lambs.

Tonight, the customer who likes his paper in the bush admitted to hitting the brandy and offered me a Pepsi. I politely declined, as I had a Thai iced tea in the car. Much better than Pepsi.

cds I listened to while drinking Thai iced tea: The Moon Lay Hidden Beneath A Cloud "The Smell of Blood but Victory", The Moonlighters "Dreamland", Mourning Cloak "Beyond", Sadness "Evangelion", and Psi Vojaci "Narod Psich Vojaku"

now: Popol Vuh "In the Gardens of Pharao/Aguirre"