Saturday, March 19, 2005

Went to the ballet today!

Yes, me, homesteading brushape woman from the fringes of civilization, Pine County, MN, went to a cultural event. My neighbors Dick and Patty, whom I am begining to love dearly, invited me and my daughter to a performance of Prokofiev's "Cinderella" in Duluth. Although I have at times been a classical musician and attended a few orchestral concerts, this was probably the first full length ballet I have seen. Part of me was wishing I was down there in the orchestra pit, playing first flute. Yes, and another part of me was wishing I was half as agile and strong as those dancers! Wow!

Duluth is such a cool city. For having a population under 100,000, it has a thriving cultural scene. And it is always so nice to drive 50 miles and see water to the edge of the horizon. I love oceans, but for someone living in the middle of the country as far away as I can get from either coast, Lake Superior is a suitable substitute.

I saw a female goshawk this morning. I was still in bed, from which I have a good view on two sides of our yard and surrounding woods. While I was watching redpolls at the bird feeder, suddenly I saw something huge swoop by. At first I thought great gray owl, but as I saw it light in a birch branch, I knew it was a hawk. It then flew up into a white pine, high enough to catch the light of the rising sun, and I wished I had film in my good camera. What a perfect picture that would have been! The goshawk I saw the other day was a male; maybe they're a pair. Bad news for the ruffed grouse and rabbits around here!

Tomorrow is my 38th birthday. What a wonderful life!

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