It has been raining for five days, not straight but for most of it. Sometimes it pours and others it’s just a steady drizzle while sometimes it is a constant light rain. You know the kind, enough to blur the vision through the windshield but not enough to keep the wipers from scraping on their back and forth journey. The sun has peeked through a couple of times but has not stayed around for long. Fire meets water and we know who wins that match.

There was a flash flood watch for the area, but I have not heard of any real problems around here. A friend was saying Friday night that the creek alongside the road to her house was close to overflowing but as of yet it had not. Someone had put up a barricade along the worst spot and it seemed to be holding. All in all life goes on pretty normal; a wet type of normal that is.

At times the rain stops long enough to enjoy the clouds nestling around the mountain tops and in the valleys. They look like a painting that morphs as the view changes. It is soft and peaceful. The different shades of blue and gray mixed with the various greens from the trees are almost hypotonic in their stillness. The mountain tops are rounded and slope to various degrees down their sides. This leads to the illusion of gentleness and simplicity and yet, they can be hard and unforgiving.

I have been enjoying the rain and the overcast sky. It seems to fit my mood. It is an outer reflection of my inner reality. We have been waiting on word for a more permanent place to live and we continue to get nothing promising, just more questions. As the time turns from days into weeks, I find my patience thinning. Strong feelings and emotions that I thought long gone resurfaced and this surprised me. My ability to pull the wool over my eyes is breathtaking in its singular complexity. Life, for me, has a way of presenting situations that allow me to view parts of myself I thought were like barren seeds, unable to reproduce a life of their own. I continue to amuse myself.

I have worked hard on releasing myself from desires. I read. I reflect. I practice. I believe I have reached this goal only to find myself angry with disappointment, bitter with frustration and sullen with my inability to produce the outcome within the timeframe I expect it to be done. And how will I be if I am ultimately unable to achieve my outcome? Accepting of the reality and the situation I hope. I do know that all things pass.

On our way back from Sylva tonight we saw a bear. We have been wanting to see one since we started coming to the mountains. We watch as we hike. We survey the woods as we drive through the mountains. We watch and we watch and yet have never seen one. But tonight, about three blocks from the downtown Main Street we see one crossing the street. At first we thought it was a large dog because seeing a bear in this place seemed so improbable and yet there it was. He stepped over the curb and entered the woods. Whatever my fantasies were of seeing a bear for the first time, they just vanished into thin air. He crossed a two-lane road, stepped over the curb and enter the woods. The bear did not seem to pay us any attention.

My wife went online looked up the symbolism of seeing a bear. There was some pretty cool stuff but to me it was simple. Never give up on your dreams and be aware those dreams may show up at the oddest times or places. Things happen in the natural flow of time and energy. I do my part, suit up and show up, and the rest will take care of itself. Stay strong and focus and on a forward path.

We came home to the little cabin that we are so grateful to be calling home now and made a fire in the fireplace. It is not so cold but there is a dampness to the air. The fire was warm and cheerful. As we are sat at the table eating and enjoying the fire, the power goes off. We were lucky the fireplace was glowing as it was providing light as well as comfort. With the lights off it gets really dark up here. We lit a couple of candles and enjoyed the evening.

Good thing the laptop and the iPads were charged up and ready to go. Technology and cabin life going hand-in-hand. Like the knowledge that the rainy days will pass, so shall this.