Home. Sleep. Work.

We went to the aquarium yesterday before going to the airport and bifurcating in different directions. I was completely enamoured of the sea dragons -- tiny filmy flying creatures that seem part plant, part animal, almost translucent, completely hypnotizing. I'd never seen them before. Couldn't quite capture them with my camera phone, but you can see the orangey little outline in the background here. You can see the essence, anyway.

I liked the lumpfish too -- very PRESENT. F laughed about the metaphoric nature of them for us this weekend -- lumpy with fatigue and illness, but with a hidden store of roe. We did enjoy each other despite the malaise -- a good thing.

The odd anemones from the PNW habitat tank also made an impression. So cartoony, so sireny. It IS my place, that part of the world. I miss the glowing purple starfish and the salmon that jump right out of the water A and I saw kayaking off Quadra Island. Need to have my paddle in that sea again soon.

The aquarium was the perfect place for the not-so energetic -- after lunch, when we were flagging but it wasn't time to go to the airport yet, so we just leaned against the glass in the lower spiral of the big tank and stared at the bottom feeding fish for about 20 minutes, not really talking but just happy to be there, not having to do anything. Very peaceful.

Like my flat, here, Peggy Lee and her ilk pumping through I-tunes to my remote speakers, waiting for my pal L to come for lunch, working away at my desk. Home is good.