§ The bulk of this week was taken up by the opening of the exhibition I’ve been working on for the better part of a year. There was a particularly stressful few hour stretch spent fussing over last-minute repairs. In the end, though, it was incredibly rewarding to finally see people enjoy the space and the exhibits.
§ Between the busyness at work and incessant rain I haven’t had much time in the garden this week. The bean, pea, and squash seeds from a few weeks ago are all sprouting and I planted some cucumber seedlings a coworker gave me. I still have three or four yards of mulch to spread, once everything finally dies up.
§ The midges are back, covering all lakefacing windows and walls from top to bottom in a quivering black blanket. Walking outside with colleagues, conversations pause as we approach the lake. Everyone understands that opening your mouth to speak is hardly a risk worth taking on small talk. When the sunlight is just so you can see masses of them swarming midair in undulating irregular orbs.
I understand intellectually that their presence in such great numbers is a positive indicator for the health of Lake Erie. Emotionally, it is a small comfort.
§ I read through The Road in just a few marathon sessions. I think I need to finally accept that I just enjoy dystopian novels.
Yes, of course, it was bleak but it was anything but nihilistic. The general atmosphere of malaise served to accentuate instances of joy, generosity, and luck—which were surprisingly plentiful.
In all honesty, the underground bunker that the father and son discover midway through the book lives on in my imagination as maybe coziest fictional location I’ve ever read about. That’s only possible because it comes along at the nadir of desperation.
§ So what’s next? Do I read something else by Cormac McCarthy or continue the trend with another post-apocalyptic dystopia? Right now I’m bouncing back and forth between The Stand and Blood Meridian.
§ On Saturday I visited Oxbow Orchard’s Mayfest. I came for the newborn lambs and stayed for the cute farm store and live fiddle band. Excellent all around.
