Dear You,

Foof!

It's been another one of those
frustrating mountain canyon days

where the spring snow melt
has wrecked last year's trail
and this year's trail hasn't been built yet

and we have to hand-carry our gear
through the whitewater

and we progress only a couple of miles
for all our labor

and we donate a few hours
(as all good travelers do)
to pick & shovel trail maintenance.

Regine is mixing up poultices & teas
for all the cuts & bruises.

Everyone is beat.

In fact,
everyone here had a really tough week
this third week of May.

Is it the same with you and your friends?

The Wolf Club

By Mercury! So much stuff to tell you.
Did I tell you I'm a wolfman?
At winter camp there were these sweet
Alpine Hillbillies and I befriended this one kid
And he got kinda attached to me
I taught him how to fish and sing the Beverly Hillbillies song
(OK, OK, we're awful back here, I know!
we're all going to hell for making fun of people!)
And So . . . his dad came to visit
and we all got drunk on honeywine together

(don't try it; terrible hangover)

and the dad made me a member of the Wolf Club

Firelight ritual
some really old vanished language
your friend Berto howling at the moon

I wore a smelly wolfskin
and they taught me a Wolf Club gang sign

The point of the Wolf Club seems to be
to give you an animal to pattern your body language after
when you're hunting
or when you're scared
seems like an old hunter/gatherer thing
to keep you from getting freaked in the dark
a set of mental images

Plus, of course, hanging out with the boys
down at the Wolf Club lodge and drinking on club nights


Everybody Else Who's Reading This E-Mail
Will Kindly Evaporate
And Rejoin Us Below the Asterisks

*******************************************
I can't help it.
I'm dreaming about you a lot.

Dreaming about you being back here
and us talking face to face
and holding hands . . .

. . . tenderly of course
to take care of your keyboard-sore wrists

Hope that's not too forward of me.

They put a lot of stock in dreams back here.

I keep trying to dream of me being in your century
but I can't make the leap.

Wonder if that means anything.

Just a thought --- could you please try dreaming
of me being there with you?

The are . . . um . . . really sweet dreams, by the way.

*blush*


*****************************************


Pageantry Drill

We're camped at a little wide spot in the canyon
where there's room to ride horses
and Regine has called an hour of Pageantry Drill
by torchlight

so that we'll be ready to look sharp
for the big Visconti Wedding in Milan

"Lil' Gramps Griper" the grip is moaning
and joking and keeping our mood up (as usual)
as we don our damp armor
and hoist our Blue Company arrow flags
and get ready
to trot creakily through our entrance routine.

Gotta ride.


Take care,
Signed,
Barrow il Gigante