June 10, 1972 - The Rocks Are Cold

Cloudy when I 1st got up at 7:30 - then cleared - quite cool. Came in just now from a spell on the rock. There's a comfortable right angle broken out of the rocks that makes a convenient sitting space - I put one folded beach towel under me as cushion and another at my back.

(Duluth)
9:30 a.m.
56*

The rocks are cold yet so I read my book against my raised knees to keep as much of "me" up off the cold surface as poss. I watched the sun-sparkles on the water and through the tinted glass of my sun glasses which screened out most of the glare, I blurred my eyes slightly and saw with delight each sun-reflecting facet become a tiny sailboat - an ovalish base with a sharp spire pointing upward. These small shapes danced about - appearing, disappearing, reappearing - as in a very-much sped-up cartoon feature - hundreds of brilliant diamonds here & there and everywhere - until a cloud interceded and the dancers subsided as the lights went off. The cold seeped into me and my hands became chilled so we came in again tho here my face is much too warm - afire from yesterday's sun, eyelids swollen - thanks be again for sunglasses behind which so much can be hidden = tear-filled or reddened eyes & now my sun-punished lids swollen with fluid so I look as tho a refugee from a fight. The oval lake air fooled me.

I must mention briefly the timeless beauty of what I see out my window - a recurring and annual show of perfection of color & texture - simply this = a pattern of small ovulate shapes in a tender new green, textured against a pale blue lightly wisped spring sky. There it is - out there now - unmatchable & permanently etched in my mind.