Vernal Equinox in Portland: Spring Springing

The blower was sitting on the corner of the table where Dolly-girl left it. It rang. I answered. "It's set for 4:44--AM--on Friday," a voice chirped on the other end of the line. "Gotcha, we're ready." I put the earpiece back in the cradle, sat down, fired a Lucky, took a mouthful of whiskey and worked it around. We'd been waiting for this one, me and Dolly-girl. I finished cleaning my heater and started on Dolly-girl's.

We figured this caper had been a good six months in the works. Half way through that, well, those were dark days as far as the way things were lookin'. Stumptown was full of snow, the streets were full of crack-ups, and nothin' was goin' nowhere. Turns out, it wasn't gonna get any darker than those days. This town's got a way of brushin' itself off and straighten' out.


I listened to my voice. Where the hell did all that g-droppin' come from. It hit me. I'd been readin' about Sarah Palin' again.

I shook myself, picked up a handful of Gs off the floor, lit a Lucky from the butt before I stubbed it out, took another mouthful of brown whiskey and went back to my thoughts.

How'd we get to where we'd got to?



For weeks we'd figured it was going to happen--no stopping this one. Birds were singing a different tune down in the park by the Police Bureau, follow? Dark corners weren't so dark, see? People's patterns were changing. A month ago, I pulled myself into my Burberry, pulled my fedora down, and patted my outside pocket for the comfort that's in feeling Messers Smith & Wesson where they need to be. Now I was stashing a snubnose in my belt, zipping up my leather, and doing the cab driver on my head. Dolly-girl leaves her fur at home and goes for a wrap for a wrap, with me? Baseball was in the news.




Spring was set to spring and me and her were sprung--it was warm, we were outside. Most people wouldn't figure me and Dolly-girl to spend time we're not making Stumptown's less fine toe the line watching birds--and I mean the ones with feathers, got it?--and, well, gardening. Yeah, yeah, I know, it's not the image me and Dolly-girl hang up on the wall for Stumptown's outta-line to see, but digging dirt feels pretty good after a day of chasing it, with me?



Anyway, what's this got to do with what you come to this page for? Nothing. Check back tomorrow--me and Dolly-girl are on the town tonite. In the meantime, here's some pictures of Spring Springing at me and Dolly-girl's place. Oh, and some things don't change, even if it is spring...