LEBH SHOMEA ~ PART III

8:15 pm ~ Dinner was good! They rang a bell five or six times to summon us. I waited until I saw others arriving at the big house then I walked on over. I felt just a teeny bit nervous, not knowing exactly what to expect. The dining area contains several large tables spread through three or four large rooms. In the main room a table was spread with food where guests serve themselves buffet style. There looked to be about ten people aside from myself. We had sandwiches, salad, fresh vegetables, and some kind of little upside-down cake. It was a light but ample evening meal. Actually, I found it a little more uncomfortable to sit and eat facing others without speaking than I would have making small talk, even with strangers. All of the sudden, it seemed inappropriate to allow my eyes to rest where they chose; I felt my gaze might be perceived as invasive! So I found other things to look at while I ate, particularly the windows with their airy curtains ruffling in the breeze. It was a little weird, but I'm sure it wouldn't take too long for it to feel normal enough.

After supper I walked to the white garage hoping to nab a bike for a little ride, but it was already shut up. I walked around it looking for a smaller door, not wanting to try the heavy (noisy) roll-up garage doors. No luck. Around the back is the little path to the old stables so I walked that way. The back part of the stables, probably once the tack room now houses white fantail pigeons and they have access to a little outside garden as well. As I walked back to the main path I noticed that vultures (ALOT of them!) were circling an area just over another little path, at every altitude, from right overhead to way, way up. Passing a big clothesline I took the path into what really would be called a thicket. Even though it was still pretty light outside, once along the path it was so deep in shadow that my eyes had to adjust. Very cool, and a little mysterious! Once in the thicket I could hear all kinds of rustling and fussing and could not figure out what it was... scanning upward, I realized that the palm trees were already full of vultures, settling in to roost for the night. Who knew vultures roost in palm trees? Not I! Every few minutes, another one would land and everyone would have to shift, readjust, and defend their spot. It kind of reminded me of arriving early for a movie to get a good seat and get all settled in for the previews, just to have a noisy, popcorn and coke laden family with a bunch of noisy kids come in at the last minute and take over the seats right in front of you! I guess even in vulture society, thoughtful planning types feel aggravated and inconvenienced by those wacky, spontaneous, fly-by-the-seat-of-their-pants type!

I watched the vulture drama play out for a little while longer then decided to walk over to the Chapel where the Vespers service would be held in the morning. It had cooled off considerably and as everything fell into shadow the breeze seemed to pick up a bit so I had a seat on one of the brick planters out front. Birds and insects were on the move everywhere I looked, preparing for nightfall. I sat there for about an hour just enjoying everything going on around me, which would have seemed like nothing had I not the time to be still and notice it. By the time I got up and started to head back to my dwelling it was almost dark.

10:30 pm ~ After returning to my dwelling I tidied up and read for a bit. Before bed, I sat out on my little screen porch for half an hour or so. They turn off all the outside lights at night, so it is DARK! Once my eyes adjusted though, I could see that my little dwelling was surrounded by deer, moving completely silently through the darkness like ghosts.