She thinks she might not be in Kansas any more. Perhaps it was the angle of the golden late afternoon sunlight, or the rugged rocky cliffs and hills covered with still leafless trees and tall dark pines. Or perhaps it was the people's accents. But Kansas has come to New England at least for a few days. My prairie friend rode in my Orange Car all the way up from our Pennsylvania retreat and we are now staying near Boston.

Retreat went well in that I got outside, did a lot of walking in beautiful weather, and saw some interesting birds. I didn't expect to see any warblers, but I did indeed see a small flock of Palm Warblers, early migrants. I also saw a nice pair of Ruby-Crowned Kinglets and actually got close enough to see the bright red tuft of feathers on the male's head. There were plenty of turkey vultures and a Cooper's Hawk. I also observed orgies of mating toads and a sweet trio of baby foxes. Some religion was done as well, though my fellow devotees did a lot more of it than I did.

In 2003, I went to visit my friend's mother and other family in their home place of Arkansas City, Kansas. Now she is doing the same with mine, meeting my folks in the house where I grew up. Yes, this is Massachusetts, and it isn't much like Kansas at all.

On Tuesday or Wednesday I will bring the denizen of the landlocked prairie to the North Shore of Massachusetts, where she will see picturesque towns and maybe eat some lobster. It's interesting for me to watch another person experience for the first time what I have spent most of my life with. But instead of the green ocean of the Kansas flatlands that I marveled at, she will see the real blue Atlantic.

Posted at 2:26 am | link