Studying.

Well, blogfolks, there's a reason I've vanished for a while. Between working and studying for the August MCAT, I've been trapped.

The MCAT, you say? For those who may not know, it's the Medical College Admissions Test- the medical school GRE, basically. I took it in 2003 and pulled a very solid score, but I need to take it again.

Ouch. The Kaplan review book calls- 1066 pages of review of the material involved. :-o I'm on page 235, but there's only one problem. I've studied too much.

Last week, when I had my CD player going as background music, "Dust on the Bottle" came on. It has a rather pervasive background beat, just 1, 2..., 3. First thing I thought? That's an S3 heart sound!

I've studied too much. Maybe I should take a walk.

Ninjing...

Tonight, Bainwen and I decided to do a little woodland ninjing. Nothing unusual, just a wander through one of the wilder parks in town. Yet, this night was different.

Glorious weather, for starters. Warm, but slightly breezy. Aside from the mosquitoes, the weather was perfect. :-)

(Though I did discover something- apparently my ability to weather mosquito bites has boosted since my time in Scouts. What were welts the size of dimes three hours ago are now gone. Squee.)

We got a bit turned around. Red trail became the brown trail, became a deer track, became a squirrel trail, eventually vanishing into a knothole up a hawthorne tree. But, in our wandering, we found something special.

Deer. Five of them, walking as casually and calmly as I do in my own living room, looking upon us and deciding we were okay.

Hello, friends. The woodland ninjas are glad to see you. :-)

Beltaine, sweet Beltaine.

Beltaine. The Celt New Year is upon us again, and again, it has amazed me with its beauty.

Last night, I was walking through those woods I know so well, when an old familiar scent wafted its way towards me. Lilacs, those bright heralds of spring, sweet as sugar and soft as pillows. I picked one, and that old smell carried me back, back to a place long ago.

Not college.

Not high school.

Not my childhood.

Further. Much further, when these woods were wild and untapped, when the deer ran free and only small groups of Native Americans dotted the land. One hundred years ago, no, more than that. This vision was of back when these mighty oaks were saplings, and the oaks before them stood tall and proud. No paths ran these woods, save what the deer left behind. The lake was dry, but the creek ran strong and pure, over that good sandstone that lay beneath.

A flash of what life was in those days, with simplicity and harmony with the land, this was this vision. The stars danced in their heaven, Orion and Draco doing their tortured two-step in the sky, while Casseopeia looked on in her chair. Round and around they whirled, through months, years and centuries, leading me back home.

With a blink, I slid back into myself again. Back in today's world, with a new year of possibilities awaiting, I walked strong and sure. I know not what the future holds, but with a Beltaine that beautiful, I have no fear.