Shel Graves' Sensorium

My stave catches this windless October Eagle hunting the last, doomed sardines Snow leopard taste: the last tin of sardines WWF-Snow Leopard Snow leopard sight: "Black figures on the sky, a doomsday sun, the blaring ice, and this dark bounding thing..." Snow leopard sound: a cry of warning; whistles downward Snow leopard touch: warmth and windlessness Snow leopard word of the day: carom Snow leopard notable: "Today is the last day of October." Snow leopard extra: the great black eagle Snow leopard gratitude: my stave comes to my rescue Panthera progress: Rudyard Kipling and Edgar Burroughs What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project .

Black tarn, blue sheep : "Be light, light, light—full of light!" Soen Roshi says Dance of Life Soen Nakagawa Roshi Snow leopard taste: onion Snow leopard sight: night shadow Snow leopard sound: spell of silence; ringing earth Snow leopard smell: onion reek Snow leopard touch: bitter cold Snow leopard word of the day: being Snow leopard quote of the day: "the tension between light and dark is the power of the universe" Snow leopard notable: Soen Roshi's last word — dream Snow leopard extra: high-altitude irritability Snow leopard gratitude: a luminescent dream Panthera progress: Panthera pardus What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project .

Relinquishing angry lentils in the Land of B'od, for you oh, my darling Snow leopard taste: salt sweat Snow leopard sight: misted footprints ; hallucinating whiteness Snow leopard sound: wailing with lost love in the snow mountains Snow leopard touch: blazing slush; thin air ; 60 pounds of lentils Snow leopard quote of the day: "My anger is wasting energy I badly need, and realizing this, it is easy to put aside." Snow leopard notable: Tibet is the highest country in the world Snow leopard extra: "Simultaneously, I am myself, the child I was, the old man I will be." Snow leopard gratitude: bathed by feeling, childlike Panthera progress: moving on What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project .

Today marks 30 days of blogging The Snow Leopard (1978). I didn't expect to continue to blog my own senses during this project, but, delightfully, while paying closer attention to each day of The Snow Leopard I have become more observant of my own surroundings as well and it's fun to compare and contrast my own senses alongside what is happening on Matthiessen's 1973 journey in the Himalaya. In most blog entries, I've managed to include an "at home" element. I continue to get up at 5 a.m. every day to work on my novel-in-progress Panthera — here marks 60 days of writing every day including those heretofore elusive Sundays. Some days I do not accomplish much, but show up to the page. I have about a month left to get to complete a draft (a self-imposed goal of Dec. 1). But like Matthiessen, I am plagued with worries about my progress. There is only so much I can do to hurry the porters (muses) over the mountain pass. I was pleased to discover that Mr. Ma...

A fine scholar drinks hot tea and despairs, "We have come too far to quit!" An influential dog leaps up and exclaims, "It is easy to live in the future. Welcome!" Snow leopard taste: tea and tsampa At home: pumpkin butter-nutmeg, allspice Seven months' trek through Tibet, 1956 Orchard Press, Antique Collector's Club Snow leopard sight: blue sheep and sign of snow leopard ; dark clouds drifting on the mountains At home: the dog bares her tummy; daybreak Snow leopard smell: human dung At home: aquarium store, age 8 Snow leopard sound: hiss of swift torrent under ice At home: "Welcome to the future!" ; rain rattling through gutters Snow leopard touch: breaking trail, plunging through snow crust At home: dog leaping into lap Snow leopard word of the day: bollixed Snow leopard quote of the day: "Despite the hard day that has ended in defeat...I feel at peace among these looming rocks, the cloud swirl and the wind-whirled snow, as...

Finding acceptance in a forbidden land of ice water and avalanches Snow leopard taste: bitter rice, course flour, lentils, onlons and potatoes Yeti hairs are goral, cryptomundo.com Goral, Rajaji National Park @ AJT Johnsingh Snow leopard sight: in near-darkness gray finches forage in gray snow Snow leopard sound: small avalanches resound-cavernous deep thunder like an echo of the roaring of creation Snow leopard touch: frigid water, numb-legged Snow leopard quote of the day: "Yet I feel calm, and ready to accept whatever comes, and therefore happy." Snow leopard extra: happy go-lucky spirit Snow leopard gratitude: a deep trust in life Panthera progress: plodding What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project .

Panthera Unica gasps: nowhere common, wary and elusive to a magical degree Snow leopard sight: nine figures round the point of rock in silhouette Snow leopard sound: gasping for breath ; chattering, laughing voices; a ringing silence in the silence Snow leopard smell: juniper and rose Snow leopard touch: light fingertips to upper leg Snow leopard word of the day: lung-gom — Tantric discipline of wind-concentration Snow leopard quote of the day: "By firelight, we talk about the snow leopard." Snow leopard notable: leopard scat ; Milarepa transformed into a snow leopard at Lachi-Kang Snow leopard extra: gloomy and restless Snow leopard gratitude: pale frosty eyes, misty gray coat, black rosettes, rich fur - snow leopard Panthera progress: still in snow leopard scenes What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project .

Wolves, leopards, wrens and lizards practice acceptance and nonattachment Sightings of leopard paintings and stuffed animals may be viewed as s ynchronicity Snow leopard taste: rice and sugar At home: seaweed Snow leopard sight: treeless waste At home: The Saint John's Bible , turned every day a page at a time; red, sequined cowboy boots ; crossing the Vermillion River Snow leopard sound: ripples flow ; drowned boulders knock At home: harp played live in a airport Snow leopard touch: legs stiff and heavy ; cold north wind At home: legs stiff with sitting on a three hour flight Snow leopard word of the day: water ouzel Snow leopard quote of the day: "Why is death so much on my mind when I do not feel I am afraid of it? — the dying , yes, especially in the cold, but not the state itself. And yet I cling—to what?" Snow leopard extra: loss of confidence and inner balance; waves of timidity, hope of continuity At home: up at 3 a.m. Snow leopard gratitude: ...

In clarity, unite: After 150 years of serving humanity — it's finally time to sleep. Snow leopard taste: chang, gooseberries At home: grilled purple onion Snow leopard sound: noisy fellows At home: Neil Gaiman reading Ocean at the End of the Lane -the loveliness of listening to an author reading his own work ; Zumbrota, Zumbro River - Dakota language Snow leopard touch: freed of their loads, they fairly dance; a wind out of the north At home: thirst, dry skin; exhaustion; a replenishing nap Snow leopard quote of the day: Om matri muye sa le du - in clarity, unite Snow leopard extra: At home: creepy; The Giaour [Unquenched, unquenchable] by George Gordon Byron Snow leopard gratitude: mysticism; author David. L. Snellgrove At home: sleep Panthera progress: tiny puzzle pieces What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project .

The Moon Bear Wanes; Pink Dawn Right, Morning Moon Left Snow leopard taste: a bear's breakfast of wild berries touched by frost; raw radish Riva Lehrer , "Mirror Shards: Nicola/Snow Leopard" via hyperallergic.com Portrait of author Nicola Griffith At home: Vampire Cabernet Sauvignon ; grilled portobello on quinoa   Snow leopard sight: black shaggy yak ; red-gold shrubs — barberry, gooseberry, and rose ; a lavender turban with tassels   At home: pink-gold leaves Snow leopard sound: cold thin tink of bells; faint musical cries ; barbaric cries; a jangle of bright bells; humming, humming   At home: wailing baby   Snow leopard smell: "...that heartening smell of uncultivated peoples the world over, earthy but not sour sweat of and fire smoke and the oil of human leather." At home: sweet boiled air, cheap doughnuts Snow leopard touch: palms together, bow; icy water At home: 48 hours in the same clothes, brisk winter air, indoor heating Snow leopard ...

Picking wildflowers and shouting at children in the most beautiful place on Earth Searching and finding absolutely anything at any time, including a list of 10 core values Snow leopard sight: the upper Suli Gad At home: autumn leaves Himalayan tahr photo @ Michail Jungierek Snow leopard sound: dark silences deepened by the roar of stones At home: popping corn Snow leopard touch: the cold breath of the torrent, dry air softened by mist At home: steamy bathroom Snow leopard word of the day: Kanjiroba Snow leopard quote of the day: "...the great sins...are to pick wild flowers and to threaten children." Snow leopard notable: scarce wildlife - moon bear, red panda Snow leopard extra: misgiving, regret At home: "Finally an insightful friend, a painter, pointed out that my fiction and nonfiction in their various forms were only different facets of a single immense work—the same rage about injustice, the same despair over our lunatic destruction of our own habitat ...

A Claterynge of Choughes ; A Sprinkling of Cloves; A Small Boy's Treasure Troves Snow leopard taste: seeds of small wild Cannabis At home: cardamom and cloves With thanks to " 10 Most Bada** Comic Book Heroines " by Mike Madrid in HuffPost Books Snow leopard sight: a great copper-colored grasshopper gleaming like amber in the sun At home: the red, yellow, green of an historic home; foggy mornings; perfectly round red holly berries, jagged green leaves, white flowers Snow leopard sound: scrabble across loose rocks; Aum...Ma-ni...Pay-may...Hung!; prayer flag's tatter ; steady thump of faithful stave upon the mountainside ; the dry scratch and whisper of sere leaves ; the exalted dog, crazed by the pale tents in the moonlight, barks unceasingly from midnight until dawn without the smallest loss of tone or volume At home: rasp; sweets; Neil Gaiman reads his story The Ocean at the End of the Lane : "I was sad not to have won thousands of pounds (I already...

In Terra Incognita Sacred Langurs Stalk Yeti; Yet, Nearly Nothing is Known of the Snow Leopard ; Dogs' circle of compassion extends autumn roots Snow leopard taste: oatmeal , raw purple kidney beans; maize on the cob; tomatoes At home: soy yogurt, coffee Yeti print? Photo by British Himalayan mountaineer Eric Earle Shipton (1 August 1907–28 March 1977) More at Cryptomundo.com . Snow leopard sight: dead white diet ; 41 Himalayan langurs ; a blanket of fine colors ; a goral At home: the cat perched on the armrest Snow leopard sound: "Sahib!"; "Ho Diddi!" At home: panting, shaking ; the groan of the electric heater Snow leopard touch: "my gut feels as heavy as my spirits"; a sudden loss of altitude At home: sitting cross-legged, two dogs on lap Snow leopard words of the day: terra incognita-unknown land ; xerotic-abnormal dryness Snow leopard quote of the day:  "How could I say that I wished to penetrate the secrets of the mountain in s...

In the Valley of Fragrant Waters Celestial Horses Scream; Saved, we continue to eat the scattered energies of summer tomatoes Snow leopard taste: fermented barley-the local beer, chang At home: tomatoes and ginger Snow leopard sight: the glistening galaxy of childhood "An emerald butterfly comes to my knee to dry its wings, gold wings with black specks above, white polka dots beneath." At home: spiderwebs in the fog ; black cat, orange pumpkin Snow leopard sound: flat tin music from a small radio with weak batteries; a bat chitters; a horse screams; the dogs howl in awe at the moon's appearance, the dog next door harrangues the cosmos for an hour At home: "Speicherbar," And One; "Parallel Lives," Roisin Murphy Snow leopard smell: resin; kerosene At home: garam masala Snow leopard touch: snug warmth inside a sleeping bag At home: walking through a foggy urban dawn Snow leopard word of the day: prajnas - female wisdom principles i.e. K...

Snow leopard taste: buckwheat bread, arak Snow leopard sight: two skulls of na; a blue hole in the snow ; red wildflowers Snow leopard sound: an owl hoots, deep in the black needles. Whooo—ooo! Snow leopard touch: a cold wind, the wind of Jang Snow leopard smell: firewood Snow leopard word of the day: Jang La green pass Snow leopard quote of the day:  "The absurdity of a life that may well end before one understands it does not relieve one of the duty (to that self which is inseparable from others) to live it through as bravely and as generously as possible." Snow leopard notable: "Simplicity is the whole secret of well-being." Snow leopard extra: the planet Mars Snow leopard gratitude: having one's life needs at hand, traveling light What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project .

Om Mani Padme Hum, The Jewel in the Heart of the Lotus Fantastic visuals, storytelling, acting, screenwriting — viewing the Earth from space Snow leopard taste: warm chapatis At home: sweet cinnamon; anise and tomato ; earthy sweet fermented grape Snow leopard sight: "Where the Saure plunges into its ravine, a sheer and awesome wall writhes with weird patterns of snow and shadow." ; ". ..we look in vain for the pug marks of snow leopard." At home: Gravity in IMAX ; black cherry luster Snow leopard sound: "groans with the ordeal of life"; "music of the spheres ," breathing of Creator, sighing of the sun Snow leopard touch: sand thrown in the eyes-snow blindness Snow leopard word of the day: nen-mindfulness Snow leopard quote of the day: " It is! It exists! All that is or was or will ever be is right here in the moment! Now !" Snow leopard notable: Saint Francis de Sales called mystical experience the immediate experience of the l...

Snow leopard taste: peanuts   Snow leopard sight: a hill fox ; Tibetan sky blue ; four bharal rams ; a white falcon   Snow leopard sound: a faint whispering - snow falls   Snow leopard touch: dry lichens ; thin air   Snow leopard word of the day: sennin - mountain lunatic Snow leopard extra: Yeti   Snow leopard gratitude: heraldic animals What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project .

Himalayan blue sheep chortle in snow, snow, snow leopard land ; enter the home of wheezy, sneezy, squeaky, lapping, tapping companion jets Snow leopard taste: thin bullion and stale biscuits At home: roasted brussel sprouts Snow leopard sight: a mineral blue, a vivid green woodpecker, a yellow-throated marten At home: a jet leaves two vivid, sparkler pink-orange contrails behind it on the soft blue sky, it appears to head straight up like a rocket, like Iron Man, as it arcs East Snow leopard sound: patter of rain on the tent canvas ; sweet chortlings of the pheasant hen At home: the dog lapping, the dog's nail tapping across the wooden floor; the cat's wheezy, squeaky snore Snow leopard touch: narrows paths, no room for a misstep; walk lightly, legs loose, almost gliding At home: stiff legs; sitting cross-legged in an office chair Snow leopard smell: the rich hummus smell of autumn At home: dark chocolate and dark roast coffee Snow leopard word of the day: Chöd - Tantric...

In the middle of drinking tea with snuffling wild mountain sages; Mother and Father knock at the front door Snow leopard taste: tea At home: coffee Snow leopard sight: "Weathered faces crusted with white paste , they hunch like specters over the fire stones and blackened pot..." At home: the front doors of homes: steel, fiberglass, glass, mahogany; leaves turning brown to red Snow leopard sound: the brook under the oaks At home: low whisper of the computer fan Snow leopard touch: the wind freshens At home: the warmth and weight of the laptop Snow leopard smell: sniffing the weather At home: a floral Cabernet Snow leopard word of the day: sennin, xian - wild mountain sages of ancient Japan and China, immortal, enlightened-ones Snow leopard quote of the day: "I feel superstitious in this realm of mountain gods..." Snow leopard notable: Tibetans says obstacles in a hard journey are the work of demons anxious to test the sincerity of pilgrims Snow leopard extra: d...

Greenfinches fly into Yamarkhar's secret village ; Stop! Now, open your arms . Snow leopard taste: ground maize, walnuts, tobacco , tart barberries, rose hips At home: mushroom gravy ; Gala apples Himalayan Musk Deer, moschus leucogaster Snow leopard sight: "At this season, the flat roofs are bright with the fire colors of the harvest, which will sustain the inhabitants through the long winter—yellow squash, red peppers, bronze tobacco, a red millet, maize, and hemp, which is used for its twine and cooking oil as well as marijuana." At home: green-eyed glistening tears; pink, orange, blue shimmering sunset Snow leopard sound: soft humming of a bumblebee ; the snap of white wings - pigeons, wild doves, mourning doves Snow leopard touch: a long slippery descent ; running over acorns At home: drawn into a hug with a grieving woman Snow leopard smell: musk , tobacco smoke, campfire smoke Snow leopard word of the day: dhauliyas, guardians Snow leopard quote ...

In the mountains of Umbria, objects too intimate to speak of Walking two small dogs by the Salish Sea, dreaming of Machu Picchu Snow leopard taste: tsampa At home: plain soy yogurt Snow leopard sight: seven elegant thin black fishes; lithe wild olives that dance in the silver breeze of afternoon At home: an exhibition of Peruvian art and artifacts; the little boy in glasses wears a sun yellow shirt his mom carries a matching bag Snow leopard sound: humming softly in the smoke ; "Swit-zerland!" At home: Yip! Snow leopard touch: sore feet , a sore knee, a sore back At home: cuddling the cat, dog on lap Snow leopard smell: fox droppings Snow leopard word of the day: kukri-Gorkha hatchet knife Snow leopard quotes of the day: "In Alaska, at forty below, no sign of life—and there's the raven!"; "I found her goodness maddening, and behaved badly.; "She has no mud on her soul." Snow leopard notable: "...in a single glide the great vulture co...

Ponies Travel in White Mountain Mists ; I, numb, long to dance in mumsy's pot pie Snow leopard taste: potatoes At home: mother's vegan potpie-broccoli, green beans , carrots, potatoes Snow leopard sight:   "The five peaks of Dhaulagiri shine in the black firmament, and over all this whiteness rings a silver moon, the full moon of October, when the lotus blooms." Snow leopard sound: pony bells and joyous whistling ; rumbling rockslides followed by deep silence Snow leopard touch: slushy scree, hard going mush   Snow leopard smell: pine forest and cedar Snow leopard word of the day: Dhaulagiri, "White Mountains" Snow leopard quote of the day: "I breathe, mists swirl, and all has vanished—nothing! I make a small, involuntary bow."   Snow leopard notable: 12,500 feet Snow leopard extra: a day so fine for travel At home:    "The body is tremendously sick for us, and it waits patiently for our return. Though we have ignored its in...

"Nature writing now combines rhapsody with science and connects science with rhapsody, and for that reason it is a very special and nourishing genre." — Edward Hoagland, the introduction to The Cloud Forest: A Chronicle of the South American Wilderness by Peter Matthiessen Flash! I was there ! Hard glare. Under the anxious chilling sun, nothing gets done "Man is the matter of the cosmos, contemplating itself ." — Carl Sagan Snow leopard taste: sea At home: salt Snow leopard sight: a cosmic energy shimmers in all stone and steel as well as flesh ; "the cosmic vision of this goat by the crooked door, gazing through sheets of rain into the mud"; blue and white prayer flags, celestial colors At home: sunlight Snow leopard sound: "snorts, sighs, bellows, shrieks" ; prayer flags snap in the crisp wind At home: cat's cry Snow leopard touch: stillness At home: sweating , chills Snow leopard words of the day: kensho, satori, enlightenment...

"Everywhere dangers and difficulties are exaggerated" Ice rages on Venus causing strokes and heart attacks Snow leopard taste: the last ration of chocolate At home: ice water Snow leopard sight: uncared for, and covered with grime At home: worm-eaten leaves , speckles of pale green pollen turning black with age Snow leopard sound: heinous din of the dogfights under the window; eerie clear song of a Tibetan boy At home: shaking leaves ; " Lament ," Rufus Cappadocia ; "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before," The Smiths Snow leopard touch: dungeon atmosphere, these cold quarters , merciless rain At home: sawing the tree trunk, stuck with a thorn Snow leopard word of the day: purgatory Snow leopard quote of the day: "one must go oneself to know the truth" Snow leopard notable: Shey Gompa Crystal Monastery Snow leopard extra: a visit to a dark cagelike shelter, a caged boy and little fox--Alex At home: "All Summer in a Day," ...

"The jaguar-shamans of the Amazon would be impressed but not surprised" An immolation of singing mole-skinned musicians Today Yoga Circle Studio , Snohomish sends this image of Durga in an e-newsletter about an upcoming class, Invoking the Goddesses. Snow leopard taste: barley or maize meal, tsampa At home: tomatoes and rice Snow leopard sight: elf's ears and wild wise eyes At home: sheltie ears and brown wise eyes ; a sable horse Snow leopard sound: ripped At home: popped Snow leopard touch: bathing At home: chopping, knife near fingers Snow leopard smell: old bones At home: fresh basil Snow leopard word of the day: shambala Snow leopard quote of the day: "And it is a profound consolation, perhaps the only one, to this haunted animal that wastes most of a long and ghostly life wandering the future and the pas on its hind legs, looking for meanings, only to see in the eyes of others of its kind that it must die." Snow leopard notable: karma and c...

A bright, new Penguin Classics copy of The Snow Leopard arrived in the mail yesterday. The cover features George Shaller's "striking photograph" and a silver circle proclaims it a Winner of the National Book Award (1979, for Contemporary Thought). The new book includes maps and an introduction by author Pico Iyer and it will not need to be renewed. However, the battered, Velveteen Rabbit-y, plain grey, hard-covered library edition added weight and mystery to the project and its presence will be missed. To another reader bound! May the next soul who plucks this unassuming book from the shelf be delighted by the blossoming lotus within. Calling the universe to attention, dogs attack, OM! Cats practice drunken protests of healing purr-ins Snow leopard taste: potatoes At home: pecans Snow leopard sight: daybreak brings pink-copper glow; the dark foundations of Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ; the harlequin feathers of a hoopo e (upupa epops) At home: At 5 p.m., a man slee...

A conversing maelstrom of telepathic Amazonian writers An immolation of singing mole-skinned musicians "Man has closed himself up, till he see all things through the narrow chinks of his cavern." William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Snow leopard sound: flicker-like cry of a woodpecker At home: Margaret Atwood singing a God's Gardeners' hymn about moles Snow leopard touch: a maelstrom of wind/water ; pangs of loss At home: a soft, sleek book cover , the heft of bound paper Snow leopard word of the day: telepathy Snow leopard quote of the day: "This cloud forest — who knows? — may hide a yeti?" ; "...I lost my sense of self, the heartbeat I heard was the heart of the world..." Snow leopard notable: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows ; yaje or ayahuasca , a hallucinogen of morbid effect used by shamans of the Amazon, Peruvian jungle, to induce supernatural states Snow leopard extr...

At home: a deer hiding by the lodge at Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park (park still closed due to government shutdown) For Thanksgiving a sun, a son Heartfelt anger and much purring Snow leopard taste: rice, chapatis, dhal, potatoes At home: black bean brownies, Mexican Bean Dip, Homemade Corn Tortillas — Fire and Earth Kitchen Snow leopard sight: monarchs and goldenrod, late roses, shining pine needles At home: frothy pink-red beet and apple juice Snow leopard sound: harmonica At home : purring Snow leopard touch: hugs , dry east wind At home: an active mind Snow leopard word of the day: arak-white spirits distilled from rice, maize, or millet Snow leopard extra: memories of home At home: powerless anger Snow leopard gratitude: Alex At home: a woman who naturally uses the words blessed and heartfelt Panthera progress : many changes What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project.

Drinking the blood of trustworthy friends Burgundy showers, autumn claws in Snow leopard taste: buffalo blood At home: a last lone Strawberr y grown sweet in Mother's garden Snow leopard sight: a pine forest drifts by in breaths of mist , ribbons of water At home: Burgundy roses, Burgundy wine, the color of autumn leaves turning Snow leopard sound: evil thunder , rain roaring At home: the cat's incessant clawing Snow leopard touch: daily rain , cold soggy sleeping bags, a slippery ascent At home: standing under a hot shower Snow leopard word of the day: Durga, a dread demoness Snow leopard quote of the day: "...one of the blood drinkers has the loveliest face of any child that I have ever seen." Snow leopard notable: Durga Puja, celebration of the Hindu goddess Durga Snow leopard extra: "...how many of one's friends these days could be entrusted with one's life?" At home: salad utopia Snow leopard gratitude: integrity At home: a hot shower ...

At home: Wonderland Trail near Paradise, Mount Rainier National Park (Closed today due to government shutdown dysfunction.) Snow leopards lie in karmic composition What opens the oven? Olympia dreams  Snow leopard sight: "...under the eaves, on the clay woodsill, a flute, a wood comb, and a bright red pepper lie in happy composition." At home: the typewriter mother received from her mother on going to college, Olympia De Luxe Snow leopard touch: a fire to dry sleeping bags At home: electric baseboard heater in the writing room Snow leopard word of the day: karma Snow leopard quote of the day: "Kill the Buddha!" "...religion is no more and no less than the apprehension of the infinite in every moment." Snow leopard extra: unassailable dignity, selfless service , merry defenselessness, a common heritage At home: my Fourth Grade report on Saturn ; in a dream: Margaret Atwood, a pink egg   Snow leopard gratitude: perception At home: a warm oven Pan...

Published 1987, my copy en route! Orchids teleport away waterfall ghosts Root vegetables scramble pink egg bodies Snow leopard sight: valley sides too steep for farming; ghostly waterfalls flow down out of the clouds At home: a dirty teapot Snow leopard sound: flits At home: barking, car alarm, the dog shakes, clinking collar Snow leopard touch: north wind, bound into the wind; heavy monsoon rain At home: moshpits, steel-toed boots Snow leopard quote of the day: "It is October now, the orchids disappear." Snow leopard extra: Marco Polo At home: stopping for a burger and fries on the way to the cardiologist conscious only of the taste, tragic inattention Snow leopard gratitude: traveling light At home: (and not for the first time) root vegetables, fall bounty Panthera progress : Panthera.org , leaders in wild cat preservation What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project.