sand, everywhere.

still in north carolina - feeling way better. a night on a deserted beach was really, really helpful. the queen went out and slept on the actual beach, and i shared a fire with him until sleep called, then returned to the environs of hank the bus. we both fell asleep earlier than usual, which was handy when wakened by the park wardens and kicked out at five-thirty this morning. so we drove further down highway 12 through the national park, made some breakfast, took a nap, and went to an even more deserted beach for a few more hours. now we're back in civilization (coffee shop) and have a plan for where to sleep tonight that will hopefully prevent interruption. less deserted, but that's okay. now.

the relative solitude was priceless for my well-being. i forget i need it; i don't know exactly how, since it's a very prevalent part of my personality. the same way we all forget to breathe sometimes, i guess. this trip has reminded me of a few things i have been forgetting. pregnancy can really shake up the routine of plate-juggling, and sometimes a few important dishes are put down and not picked up again for a while. i feel relief at remembering myself - i like to sing; i am an emotional sponge; i have the most fun in random moments, as opposed to 'activities'. banter with the queen fills me with great joy. i wish i could remember and report some of the banter, but it floats away on the wind with our laughter. still, i know it's something we both get a lot of enjoyment out of, and it will probably help us survive the first couple of sleep-deprived years of child-rearing.

when the queen came back to the bus this morning at five-thirty, he brought with him about 3.4 tonnes of sand. it is now everywhere on the bus. i can't blame him; i would have done the same thing if roused by the authorities in the middle of a dream. who remembers to shake things off when you've just handed your ID over to a badge? of course, i gave him all kinds of trouble about it anyway, because it was fun to do so. my favourite was sand in the travel mug mouthpiece. my least favourite, sand in the bed. ah well. sand everywhere is a good cross to bear when there is 20cm of snow at home, with a windchill of -35.

beaches. digging a hole in the sand and laying on my belly. watching cranes fly by. lulled by the waves. picking up cool shells because i live on the prairies. a windy day, the shapes the wind draws in the sand...

my belly is growing nervously large. tomorrow i will be 29 weeks, which means there is way too much time in which the belly will continue to grow. i will then expel its contents through an opening in my vagina. does this scare anyone else? i repeat the mantra: "i'm going to get huge. my body was made to do this." please, goddess, send me all the right hormones, and lots of 'em.