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Oct. 11 | The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

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 could go where we have gone in ten hard hours."
Snow leopard extra:
a vague longing, a sad emptiness; an above-life quality; an imperious inner command
At home:
feeling clever; sympatico - "...I am elated to be home with nothing scheduled but reading, writing, walking—even enough time to make soup and bake bread." — Holly Hughes, The Pen and the Bell
Snow leopard gratitude:
new hope for the future; enduring love
At home:
walking the dogs at lunchtime

Panthera progress:
Onward!

What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project.

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