hello from fuck my neck still hurts constantly and chronically, and thus is explained the dearth of updates. the good news is, proper therapy begins tuesday and it's my firmest hope that once this hurt is gone i'll never complain about anything in the whole wide world again. and if there's been any value in sailing this ocean of pain for the last three weeks, it's been the concern and empathy of many of my closepeople, many of whom i've not had the chance to connect with for months and months. it is sometimes so easy to forget when life is day-to-day-ing right along that you have a network of support. as much as i'm tormented by a half-dozen spasmed muscles near my shoulder blade, so i am also blessed; the many nights i've been left sleepless i've had the comfort of warmth in my heart.

mushiness aside, this post is really about the solstice field trip!

giggle. this image is from last year, not shot raw, not even low compression jpg. umm, and the horizon isn't quite straight either, but that's not important. what is is that it looked pretty much exactly like this. oh, and the giggle isn't 'cause of the photo itself, rather because my neck hurts lots and i'm not up for playing css so i used the <center> container for probably the first time in a decade to make it, well, to center a 640 in a 760 universe. anyway.....

tim hortons (note there is no longer an apostrophe in the brand), vernon avenue, in the strip mall between vernon ave and where highway 17 turns into blanshard street. save-on foods. kerrisdale cameras. pacific cat clinic. td bank. you know the place. wednesday 21 june 2006 4:00am. camera recommended, but absolutely not required. but if you bring your camera, a tripod is also recommended. you'll also need a means for getting to the malahat lookout, make your arrangements as necessary. oh, and a buck and a bit for some of timmy ho's less that thrilling but way more awesome than awful coffee. bring more if you want a donut, or if you want to generously tip the 90 year old woman who will be working the cash.

we'll be rolling from tim's at 4:15, like gasoline powered banshees up the malahat to just past its very top, the veribest solstice place of all. or maybe it will be just me, it will still be amazing, but i would love to have a bunch along this year. just checked the forecast, which this moment says fabulously perfect. do come along. i promise it will be magic.

and for those who plain can't, due to geography or good jobs in florida: wherever you are, you've still got a solstice sunrise to savour, even in the southern hemisphere, albeit an opposite one. and that means, alarm clock willing, you still get to play along. please do. pick a place, get up on time. you too can be a pagan scientist.

i wish sometimes i were worthy of all the wonder of this world.