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. . . . . . . . . . "A Morning For Aster"
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. . . . . . . . . . . . . . by Oregano
. . w w w . a n a d a . n e t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Her day begins with the saddling of Hollyhock, a Peruvian upland
llama.
Aster gives Hollyhock a big hug - how can you not want to hug a
llama? The llama seems indifferent to the hug, but Aster sees a sparkle in
Hollyhock's eyes.
Aster throws on the saddle and tightens the straps on the llama's
underbelly. It is a cool day in Seattle, and here, up in the mountains,
Aster's breath becomes fog in the cool air. Down below is Seattle proper
where it is 20'F warmer, even this early in the day.
Aster goes back in her house and gets her napsack, with her books and
lunch, and grabs a bag of feed for Hollyhock. She kisses her father goodbye
but only hugs her mother, who protests that she has a cold and must keep her
little Aster healthy. Aster's brother and sister will leave a little later,
they not yet being in high school, at a more normal time.
There are roads where Aster lives, cars can drive to and fro. But it
takes a toll on cars, and they are not as reliable as pack animals in this
terrain. The roads are not paved, concrete cannot set at this altitude or
in these humid, moist conditions. Aster lives at what is the equivalent of
Base Camp for Mount Everest. Helicopters cannot fly at this height, at
least not without great risk.
Aster secures the bags to the llama, mounts and starts off to school.
Even though Aster is only three years old, she is in high school. The way
one does math calculations in the mountains is different than at sea-level.
This is much like how it takes 45 minutes to boil an egg here that takes
only three minutes in say Kansas City. We leave the math and the theory of
mountain aging to the experts and move on with our essay, Aster now on the
trail to school.
On this morning, though the sky has been bright for over an hour,
only now is the sun able to fight its way free from the clinging grip of
Mount Ranier. Aster looks over at the grand mountain and takes in the pure
beauty. Maybe 6:30 in the morning is not the best time to appreciate such
wonders, especially since they fight in the brain with the strange images
conjured in dreams only left an hour earlier, but Aster takes it all in and
yells out in delight.
The ride down the path is tricky, but Hollyhock, the llama, knows the
way quite well and Aster has complete faith - one learns to trust an animal
with one's life in the harsh mountains as much as a close friend or
relative.
There are many farms on Aster's path to school. Many grow hops for
brewers in Saint Louis. Others grow grapes for champagne, this part of the
state being at the same latitude as the northern part of France. Aster
waves hello to any farmers or farm hands she sees. Everyone knows everyone
else up here in the mountains.
About three miles down the path Aster dismounts and leads Hollyhock
to to a stream. The water moves fast, but here it is shallow where a fjord
has been built with rocks now smoothed by the current. It is for this
stream that Aster wears knee-high boots. They protect her from the numbing
cold water. The current is always tricky, were Aster to fall she might
catch a very nasty chill, it still being a few miles to school. And at high
stage, she could get carried away in the current, so she is always cautious.
She crosses now easily.
Clouds start to form off the peak of Mount Ranier, clouds like these
can often mean a storm, rain in the summer and icy rain, now in the fall,
making travel impossible. Aster wonders if it will be safe to go home after
school or if she will have to sleep in the smelly cafeteria with other
stranded students. But she'll worry about that later.
The rest of the trip is uneventful, and Aster arrives at high school
with plenty of time. Aster ties up Hollyhock in the pen-yard. She takes
off her napsack. She will come by in the mid-afternoon to tie a feed bag
around Hollyhock's snout. But for now Aster is ready to go inside for some
warm air and a day of learning.
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. anada 133 by Oregano (c)2000 anada e'zine .
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