I went away for a week and the city bloomed! The riverbank is awash with Queen Anne’s lace (or at least, I think that is what it is called – I’m no naturalist), the nettles keep grabbing my ankles when I jump on and off the boat, the trees are glistening with new leaves, and the Jesus Ditch is home to a fresh crop of ducklings!
The reading at the Horse Hospital was great fun, though I was temporarily rendered homesick by the Portland theme and glimpses of so many friends and familiar places. But the lovely audience briskly cured me of the flash of nostalgic longing.
There are too many new friends and adventures in my future to worry much about the past, especially when I can go home and visit whenever I like.
It was quite splendid to chat with various audience members, including a nice fellow who corresponded with me before the move to the UK, a man I met in Rochester who has a jealousy-inducing taxidermy collection and beautiful children, a nifty woman I met online who knows NY friends in real life, a highly entertaining literary agent, and the publishers of Nude Magazine.
And, though it seems odd, I’ve grown fond of seeing people out of context. It was nice to spend time with Pete and Chloe in a place that is not cluttered with previous associations. Particularly since Xtina and Iain are such gracious guides.