Julia's Last Day Here (found this unpublished from 10/24)

<p>We take a trip across the island, have a lunch in the sun in&#160; Puschica, get home and discover our front tire is flat.&#160; Julia is out of here tomorrow.  Slavko volunteers a 5:45 a.m. ride to the ferry and saves the day. </p>

My Beauties of the Night

Prayer Flags

Lynne has participated in this wonderful prayer flag project.  See her blog (to the right).  I love her flag, pictured.

Gazul

Drove to the top of the island and found a little medieval hamlet called Gazul.  A Parkside setting among protected black pine and white stone,  Uninhabited now except in early summer when shepherds bring their flocks and mid-summer, when a large and rustic livestock sale is held, complete with feasting and lamb-roast.  This area was famous clear back to antiquity for raising prize cattle.  But today it was peaceful, secluded, and empty.

Just found this

Photo from earlier this year when Amir, Inela and Mak stayed at Brizaks End.

Lori teaches Eason the Joys of Farm Life

Way to go, Lori!  Get 'em when they are young.  "There must be a pony here somewhere."

Sv. Lukas

I added another pre-Romanesque church to my list today when Julia and I tracked down St. Luke.  Built around 1100, atop a Roman settlement, as evidenced by the sarcophagi around, it features some very old medieval drawings of boats scratched into the still wet plaster.it

MEanwhile Back at the Ranch

BUsy, busy stateside while we are riding the rails in Bosnia . . . ELiot, Kyra and Eason back in Skagit Valley and enjoying a (until now) pleasant fall . . . LOri and John bringing in all those cuttings of hay wit their new-to-them hay equipment,  Tim running like a champ with his new business initiatve, Trevor getting engaged, Charles becoming "Prince" of the NA McLean clan as an uncle dies, Melanie turning another year young, Auth Ruth  -- Dad's sister -- dying . . .Spencer and Lynne busy, busy . . . Wow . . . . . .

HOme in Milna

A short three days in Sarajevo . . . We walked with Amir, Inela and Mak along the Bosna river on the old caravan road between Istanbul and Sarajevo and then had coffee back in their flat . . . VIsited Almir and his sister and mother at their apartment in another part of town . . .Enjoyed rock, sevdah, and homemade music and food with Almir and Dragana . . . walked and walked and walked . . . Road the train homewards through deep Bosnia valleys and Hercegovina rock . . .

On the Road

After a week or so of hiking, playing rummy, going where no man has gone in 2000 years, we are off for a few days to Sarajevo.  Guest House Rose.

Bella Bakica

Julia holds on tight as we bounce and swerve up heavily eroded roads to the Shrine of the Black Madonna.  When we arrive, the Lady is gone, replaced by a dour Josip.  Our car, Bella Bakica, (Beautiful Granny .), complains with disappointment as we slide down the road towards home.

Autumn

After the harsh, dry summer, the Beauties of the Night bloom once again along my walk, outside my gate, in my garden. Walking home in the evening, I am ravished by the scent of orange blossoms from a neighbors tree.  Drinking coffee on my patio in the morning, the scent floats in through my gate, over the stone wall.  I close my eyes and am transported.

Too hot to work

Or so Salvo says...
?

VIno Time again

JUlia and I drove our old car to Murivica yesterday to start the grape harvest.  A very, very hot year with no rain for months, so there  were more raisins than grapes.  STill between the picking at Ivo's vinyard and buying from his neighbor, we got enough for hundreds of liters of fine red wine.  THis year it was a family event, with Llijana and Julia, Pavle, Ivo and me . . .  Hot sun . . . Polako, as they say in Dalmatia, (slowly),  then a cool swim in the Adriatic, a brief snooze by the vines looking out to Hvar, and a grilled steak dinner (special grilled veggies for Julia).  A slow drive home across the island through the night with four liters of wine in the trunk and a bucket of white grapes for eating.    NExt week I will return to help press the grapes. 

Internet

Just a photo of Julia at her internet station, under the bougainvillae and in front of the fig tree.

Fall Equinox

Julia and I walked to Osibova for an equinox swim.  Hang on, it's that time of year and here we go again!

UPdate Notes: Mainland

EArly this week, before Julia arrived, I spent a couple of days in Solin, above Split, with Slavko and Nada.  THey have been working hard on their new house, but took a break when I showed up.  SLavko and I visited the cave Vranjaca.  THat was an pretty profound experience.  VAst caverns filled with curtains, spears, veils, Hindu carvings, lovely women of stone.  WE also visited the Catheral of St. JAcob in Sibenik.  BUilt in 1400's by George the Dalmatian, master mason.  THere was a lot to marvel at there but I was struck by the status of Mary from the 1400's standing upon a great horned crescent of Isis/Ishtar/Artemis.THen before I left for the ferry, Slavko and I discovered and explored a Benedictine complex from 850 a.d. which was located just below his house.  WE discovered hat it had been built on a earlier Roman villa of the 1st or 2nd century.  THere were several sarcophagi about, including a lovely carved one for a Lady Cornelia --'from Cornel the Illyrian, loving daughter, affectionate mother'.  (I have been working to translare the inscription.) THe carving of the pagan Eros was especially nice, signifying eternal life through love.  (UNfortunately, I forgot my camera.)

Julia Arrives on Brac

She arrived in the night while the wind moaned and the boats rocked in agitation, the rain and the temperature both plummeted!  Welcome!

Our Neighbor Lukrica

Looking sporty in her faux leopard? cap. She loves plants and works all day at home and in her little field behind our house to keep them watered and healthy.  Her jasmine smells divine.

Et Voila

Beautiful, beautiful!