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pine cones of unusual size
10 August 2007 - 01:45
Yesterday afternoon Kale and I weren't making progress on our tasks for the afternoon (things like reorganizing a few rooms of our apartment to make them more livable) so we gave ourselves a quest of another kind. I decided I wanted a really big pine cone. I consulted my copy of Trees of Greater Portland and determined where the largest "Big Cone Pine" (yes, that's really one of its common names) in Portland is located. We examined the tree (it's at SE 37th and Steel), but it hadn't dropped any of its enormous cones into the yard where it lives. We moved on to Mount Tabor, where a spectacular shaft of light led us to a few large pine trees that were slightly off the path. 
Kale found two of the largest pine cones I've seen in a long time.
I've been trying to interpret my waking life as if it's full of dream symbols, and yesterday afternoon seems particularly potent:
* We were led to giant seed/new-life containers by a beam of light on an inactive volcano (next to a bramble patch!).
* All the spikes on the pine cones bend one way, so they prick you sharply from one direction only.
* We felt slightly sheepish as we made our way back to the car (what if someone chastised us for taking things from the park?). As we talked about feeling that way, we ran into people who were crashing through bushes to do drugs secretly.
* When we got to the car, an airplane was skywriting: "Cool" "moon" "ice cream." 
I almost feel as if we took on a task that seems as difficult as some of our housework but much more magical to refresh our spirits and restore some confidence in ourselves.
Kale seems to have recovered (for now?) from insomnia that has plagued him intermittently throughout his life. His way of getting to sleep is to say all his lines from petitioning:
"Miss, we're right over here. You've found us! We've been waiting for you since 6 AM. Here's your pen, here's your clipboard. You can sign it too. No, it's not voting; this just gets it on the ballot. Have you moved or changed your name since you last voted? Let's update your registration. Nope, that comes off the DMV. Date of birth? Middle initial? L or M? Lee or Lynn? How did I know that? Party? No, we're not getting paid to do this. It's strictly volunteer. Miss, oh miss? We need your help. Just a signature. Ok, now you have ten more to sign. Just kidding, only five."
As he falls asleep it turns into more and more of a mumble, unless I laugh so hard I keep him awake.