Thoth and Big Trees

We haven't been writing much here lately, partially because we are looking for work and are hesitant to spend money but mostly, I think, because we have already become comfortable with the dozen or so things we do all the time and have begun turning into residents rather than visitors. One of the reasons we started this blog was to help us keep the "traveler's eye" and, well, we'll need to fight to keep it.

I'm still doing my morning walks around our neighborhood lakes. I'm in awe of the of the trees. I have no idea if Tolkien ever saw live oaks but when I see them, I see Ents. Old, gnarled, twisted, slowly growing out and down. They survive storms and floods and arch over the roads like gate and keeper together. They roll their eyes at me as I walk by and wink. What are they shepherding?

I see a lot of American White Ibis on my walk. They are around the lakes, looking for breakfast. Are they Thoth, mathematician, linguist and mediator? Are they between us and the trees? Thoth was the balance between good and evil, working to keep neither the winner. Heh, coming from where I do, it is hard not to attribute exotic, fetishistic meaning to the ibis I see. In Athens you see crows and squirrels on your walks, playing amongst the pines. Here you get live oaks and ibis.