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Oct. 13 | The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen

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:
dance of life
At home: book as talisman
Snow leopard gratitude:
a stroke of luck, good fortune
At home:
breakfast with Mother and Father

Panthera progress:
scenes in transition and transition scenes, plodding

What is this? Blogging The Snow Leopard project.

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