Let me go hooooooome

Goooooood morning, gang. I write to you today from the Evergreen State, although since I'm on the east side of the Cascades we're in the Sage Green State, on accounta we're so wise and dusty and all. Anyway now that I'm back in Washington I've started wearing socks with sandals while I drink another cup of coffee and check the status of my stocks and bonds from an iPhone. It's been a magical couple of days.

WILDLIFE UPDATE: My parents have two redwing blackbird nests in their garden this year, and the babies are disappointingly uncute. They're like if someone rolled a small kidney through a pile of dust and hair and then glued a beak on. Also their parents are annoying as eff.

The pretty-much-no-longer-baby owls in the trees by the creek, however, are totally rad. You guys read blogs and therefore don't actually go outside so I'm sure you've never seen a great horned owl, and though the internet allows you to view a picture from the comfort of your velvet chaise, this is nothing, sir, to the majesty of looking above you and seeing a mother and her young lad peer down from a crooked cottonwood branch. Bonus: One of them got in a scuffle of some kind so we scored part of a wing (illegal, maybe) and several loose feathers (owl feathers are sweet, don't doubt me). Fun fact: Owls have no sense of smell and have been terrorizing the skunk (but this doesn't mean the dog hasn't been up to that too). (We as humans have senses of smells). (Bummer, dude).

Fucking owl.

MOISTURE UPDATE: It's been as wet here as it has been in Missoula, which leads to two things: flooding creeks and gigantic mushrooms, which leads to one thing: Nature rafts down mighty Mercer Creek, á la Winnie the Pooh.

MILESTONE UPDATE: My little brother Whitt graduated high school last night, much to our relief, and besides being one of the only young men in dress shoes and a tie (what the hell, 2010?) he was also one of the only young men not crying after the ceremony. Graduating high school is supposed to mean you've learned about life and friendships and calculus, not about learning that you're a big puss. Sam, I hope your brother's friends do better.

Good job.

PAGANISM UPDATE: The other main reason I came home for the week is to participate in the 26th annual Saturday Summer Solstice Celebration. During this, we celebrate the light, dance around bonfires, and drink with the assistance of the ceremonial "I pledge allegiance" beer coozy. Chips and Busch Light are unacceptable potluck items. Developments and pictures to come, maybe, though probably not pictures because I will be embarrassed I got so drunk in front of my grandma.

NORTHERN EXPOSURE UPDATE: True, I am minutes away from the historic Brick Tavern in Roslyn, Washington, and perhaps I will venture up there tomorrow night to view Deadwood Revival and sip on a PBR and be soooooo goddamn trendy.

OTHERWISE MUSIC UPDATE: Last week in Missoula I saw Blitzen Trapper play at The Palace with The Moondoggies and then the next day saw Dawes then Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros at The Wilma. Fuck. It was a good couple of days. I walked home from Blitzen Trapper asking my French couchsurfer "How do you say, 'I'm so drunk' in French?" and high fived Dawes and met Jade and Orpheo of Edward Sharpe at the back stairs of the theater after the show. We smoked a cigarette together and told each other we were wonderful.

THINGS TO DO UPDATE: I have things to do. Sam and Max, since you're not coming to the party, you are no longer my friends. Calvin, you were never my friend.