for Jess, who might just be the coolest visitor

A few weeks ago Jess came to visit from London. We loved it, the kids loved it, the cats loved it. It was a wonderful afternoon of chatting, cooking, eating and playing. Some drinking. It is both a marvel and a given that people born across oceans, raised in utterly incomparable circumstances and living on different continents can have similar experiences, almost shared memories, same palates. Thoroughly heartening. Jess was greeted by the waterlily, but the passion vine and stephanotis may have missed her just by a day.

The cherry tree was generous this year and we all had tart sweeties to our hearts' content. Even Tom Truelove stopped by and told a story about his father working on the railroad 50 years ago, before airconditioning; people riding with open windows, throwing pits and seeds out along the tracks; he would dig up young saplings coming up along the track and re-plant them in the garden; his mom used to make cherry pie, didn't even bother with sugar; what do you think about them apples (they had those too). We stopped at Cream King for icecream on the way home, Jess made a lovely salad, and we all had a nice dinner outside. Somehow there is no evidence of Jess actually taking part, but she was here, indeed. A few days later we went to get icecream with the kids and took pictures... simply because it is such a sight. We'll hope to see you soon, Jess, on one of these continents.