Writings of Constance Ore ( 1937 – 2010 )

We returned to Sanctuary last Tuesday, the 7th, and found it to be lush, overgrown, and heavy with humidity. This condition for Nebraska in August is almost unheard of. On the next morning’s walk, fog hung over everything, and spider webs of every kind were outlined in moisture. Some trees looked as though they were anchored to the earth with guy wires. The wrens, orioles, red-winged blackbirds and grackles were gone, as expected, and the only birds still singing at all were song sparrows, meadow larks, rufous-sided towhees, and an occasional cardinal. The paths were almost hidden by the tall grasses leaning in from both sides, and Charles commenced mowing immediately in order to reclaim our space.

Alphie’s joy at our appearance at the kennels was as boundless as a dog can express. He leapt into the car with the absolute intent not to get out of it again until we got back to Sanctuary. Only after checking every room and space in the house did he wish to go for a walk into the woods. Now however, the heat and humidity have slowed him down greatly – rabbits can run very near to him and he doesn’t even pretend to give chase.

Our incredible road trip’s ending with the wedding in San Francisco amidst good friends and family was a perfect conclusion to three weeks of time outside of time. The cancer and the chemotherapy and the blood tests were all put aside and the MDS was like something resting inside a book closed and placed on a side table. My health remained good to the degree that we didn’t talk or think about it. Now the book is lying there, still unopened, but moved closer as a return visit to the oncologist looms ever nearer. It is all “wait and see”. The blood readings will likely influence the actions in the near future; my hope is that they will be normal, or nearly so, and my plan is to request a bone marrow aspiration to see what is happening with the cell formation at this time. Perhaps there is grand improvement, and the chemotherapy treatments can be delayed, or lessened, or given up entirely for a while. “Mind over matter” and miracles might shape the future – whatever the outcome, I have just completed a life experience that stands far above all the other events that have defined my recent past, and the loveliness of that will surely color everything that happens in the days to come.

The time in Santa Barbara with friends Julie and Gary went quickly with all the remembering stories and the present delight of shared adventures. Many forms of art were displayed in their home, and faces of all kinds were portrayed, causing the rooms and spaces to come alive with personalities of every description.


 

When we left yesterday morning we completed our time on the coastal highways by driving northward on Highway #1 to Carmel, a beautiful town with multitudes of flowers everywhere. Anything called Carmel-on-the-Sea has to be wonderful, and so it is. We are spending two days here as we wind down our road trip. Our morning walk took us down the main street to the ocean, where lots of people and their dogs were out enjoying the sea and sand. There were retrievers that reminded us of Alphie as they ran into the waves to capture balls that their owners threw into the water. Of course, these dogs brought them back nicely. . . Alphie has never achieved the correct concluding action – he keeps the ball and dares you to try to get it out of his jaws.

These past weeks have risen to the top of the list of splendid holidays. The entire coastal road from Oregon southward though California is so varied and beautiful and interesting that one could immediately repeat the journey and be delighted all over again by the wonderful sights and experiences. The birds that we noticed throughout were the noisy white seagulls and the floating black vultures that sailed out from the mountain’s edges toward the ocean. Pelicans were always present in varying numbers, with the greatest gathering of them sitting in huge noisy flocks on large rock outcroppings near the shores of Pismo Beach. We were aware of many other birds flying about, and we enjoyed the sight and sound of them without knowing their identities.

Sometimes, as the news is heard in the Midwest, it sounds as though California is packed tightly with people, but we saw many miles of sparsely populated open beaches and land. The villages and towns varied greatly in their personalities – many of them were either preparing for or in the midst of local festivals, from kite flying contests to bicycle races through surfing and boating events. Farmer’s Markets provided us with lovely fruit which we know we will not experience again until the next time we come this way.

Tomorrow we come to the conclusion of our adventure and we will shake out our wedding finery to prepare for the weekend festivities. Charles will retrieve his organ shoes and his folio of music and another joyous occasion will enter the annals of our family’s history.