whirling

I am back in Brooklyn for a few days. I drove back yesterday, somewhat impulsively. I had planned to come down today, but when I woke yesterday I could tell I was not in the mood to work and the weather was cool and I had my stuff together so it was simple to just put things in the car, get Mabel and take off. So I came here about midday and was busy all afternoon straightening up and doing some organizing, paying some bills and taking care of business. I will go back to the country early Sunday with Y and I will stay until the end of next week. After that I must be back here because I have faculty meetings on September 6 and begin classes the next week. I don't feel the kind of dread of the academic year beginning this time around because I feel calm in general. Even the fact that my car headlights stopped working in the middle of the woods late last Sunday night didn't make me freak out. I am seriously thinking about living in the country, at least as much as possible while still teaching. It is much better for me. I felt some stress returning as I drove down the West Side Highway, but I didn't let it take over me and by the time I got home I was ok. I was thrilled to see Patsy, alarmed to see the huge pile of mail waiting for me, and happy to have my guitar and my piano and my bass. I purposely did not bring any instruments to the country, and there is no piano there. It is one of the longest times when I did not make any music that I can remember. Even when I went to Japan I played piano, because everywhere I stayed there were pianos available.

Here is the house seen from the barn.