Summer Gold

These photographs were taken on my phone. There's a hill near my house that my brother showed me a few years ago. I was walking our dog a few days ago, when I passed by the hill and made the impulsive decision to go up. I carried Matisse in my arms--he's getting old, and I didn't want his fur to be covered in burs and thistles.

The sun was setting as we sat here, on a boulder underneath the canopy of trees. The first time I'd been here, there were a lot of people, taking pictures of the view on their phones. Children took turns riding the tire swing attached to the giant tree at the top. This time, the swing was gone, and Matisse and I were alone.

Since I left for college, for the most part I've only been in California twice a year. Sometimes, I feel like a visitor to a foreign city, despite the fact that I've spent three-quarters of my life here.

I've been back in New Orleans for about a week now. The solitude has been both a blessing and a curse. I finished writing Chapter 23 yesterday afternoon. Approximately six more chapters left. It's been a major struggle trying to get the words out of my head and onto paper--clearly I've gotten rusty.

I've also been babysitting my friend's kitten. She's a curious one--strangely affectionate and rather chatty with her squeaky meows. She enjoys chewing on my hair. It's still surprising (and kind of terrifying) how strongly my attachments form. And this refers to not just kitty, but boyfriend as well.

While I babysit her at my friend's condo, in addition to writing, I've also taken advantage of my friend's TV and started watching the show Empire. If you like hip hop music, family drama, a hilarious matriarch with epic one-liners, get on this ish. Cookie is my spirit animal.