January 12, 2025

Happy 18th, Zoe!!!

I'm starting tonight's blog with a call to all of the Signal Hill Tribe.  Here's an invitation to write a story, a memory, something you've never forgotten.  I've given some prompts, you can ignore them if you chose, and when you have something, send it to me.  After hearing so many stories this week after Mike passed I thought it would be cool to hear some more.  Give it a try

Prompts for Signal Hill Stories

A favorite story

A favorite character

How the hell did we live through that?

Can you see in your mind’s eye the twists and slopes of walking up and down the hill?

 

I have reoccurring dreams that take place between the Bonvillian's and the Kelly's and around that corner and past the Turners and down.  Sometimes I turn around and try to walk through the woods to the Herot’s to see if anyone is still living there. Then on up the Van Collie’s steep steep driveway and through the woods to home, climbing through the gap in the stone wall, coming upon  the house on the glass side in a fresh snow, my legs freezing.

My dreams are surrealism, seasons change while I walk, sometimes I’m 8, sometimes 15, and sometimes it is all integrated into me.

 

I wrote more today, but I’ll share it in a different draft.    I was moved to put this out after reading so much about Michael written by the Signal Hill tribe.  Once I started writing I realized that I spent 13 years in that house and that at 71 those years have kind of morphed into one long episode with changing characters, great food, and beautiful scenery.   I keep thinking of the Tannenbaum backyard, sledding with all my dolls down that hill.  The swing that Jack built, the tree house that Jack and Geoff built, trying to roller-skate, trying to skate board. Learning to stick with my bike, the one Mike got me  from Boyd’s.  Those 13 years were 3 full chapters. 

But today I am firmly grounded in Franklin County.   It was beautiful today, about 35 degrees and not a cloud in the sky.  The wind has stopped terrorizing us.  On the canal there were 20 swan sprinkled throughout the ducks, geese and seagulls.  Later on I will blow some of these up and see how

 many kinds I find. 

I decided instead of taking my normal nap I would go look at the sunset in the hills.  What I got to watch is an early rising moon.  I hope its this clear tomorrow when it's full.   Very pretty up there, only saw one big bird and the goats were already in the barn, but the colors in the hillsides were lovely.  

April Prompt 5 2023

Comstock Lane was dug into the

Signal Hill hillside and on one

side a 15 foot embankment lined the road.

On the other side, houses were built.

 

Before Freddy moved in

when I was just old enough

to go out on my own,

I would crawl on all fours

to the top of that embankment.

Feeling like the king of the mountain

 I‘d slide down

pulling soil and rocks all

the way to the bottom,

my shorts layered with dirt.

Laughing, I’d crawl slowly

back up to the top

feel high up and tumble back down,

filthy, damp, happy.

 

I don’t know when I stopped

believing it was fun to tumble

down a short hillside

my clothes encrusted with dirt.

I wonder if plant life took over

roots filling the loose soil so you wouldn’t slide?

Or did I just grow old?