July 01, 2009

Naked in the garden

Naked in the garden

In City Where Jimi Hendrix Was Born, I stayed for a couple days with my friend Ecowoman. Longtime readers will remember her as the woman who inspired the tradition of naked blogging. Her cute little house is tucked into a garden of purple and yellow blossoms. When I arrived, bits of colored glass were twirling in the breeze near the front door, catching the afternoon night. I felt like I was in a movie as I walked into a house filled with pillows and colorful treasures.

Ecowoman buys old framed photos at yard sales, and then hangs them up, even though they are people she’s never met. They are mixed in with all her other pictures. When I was looking at the photos, she would say things like, “Yeah, that’s me and my mother. Here are my parents when they were young. Oh, that one? Yard sale family.”

Naturally, she and I talked over the Friendly Green Conference in great detail, and then went on to talk about stuff going on in our lives. She kept threatening to do a make-over of me. Apparently dressing like a teenage boy does not make me the height of fashion.

"You're meeting your husband for a romantic vacation and THAT'S what you're wearing?"

"We're going hiking," I protested. "And we'll be naked the rest of the time."

We sat at her table in the sun and ate fresh baguettes with deli foods. All during my stay, she kept taking care of me. “Are you hungry? Now, here are some clean towels. Can I get you anything else?”

“You don’t have to keep waiting on me,” I protested. “I’m a grown-up.”

“You’re in my house,” she said. “That makes you eight.”

We hadn’t planned, actually, for Ecowoman to make another naked appearance on the blog, but early one morning, I found her dancing naked in her backyard. I think she had papers to grade. Nothing inspires nudity like a stack of papers to grade.

Naturally, I ran for my camera.

“This setting is perfect,” I said, “but take off your hat so I can see that gorgeous hair.” At the sight of my camera, she stopped the wild frolicking and posed demurely, looking up to smell one of the flowers in her garden.

Then she pulled out her bicycle, put on some clothes, and rode off to catch the boat she rides to work.

11 comments:

Sandy said...

An outdoor photo! That seems fitting for someone called Ecowoman.

Where do you find all these beautiful women?

Magpie said...

You slay me. So does she. The garden is lovely, the hat is funny, and I'm undone by the fact that she was dancing naked in the yard.

Liz Miller said...

Of course she was!

Heidi said...

I thought it was you at first. She has the same hair.

angelfeet said...

What a beautiful setting for dancing naked!

BrightenedBoy said...

I have to confess that as much as I admire this tradition I don't know if I'd be brave enough to do it myself.

Then again, I've posted photos of myself in boxers on my blog, so it wouldn't be that big of a stretch.

jo(e) said...

Brightened Boy: Ah, you're young. By the time you're my age, I'm guessing you'll be perfectly comfortable with it.

nimiecat said...

I wish that was my garden.

concretegodmother said...

"Nothing inspires nudity like a stack of papers to grade."

Amen to that! Stacks of papers to grade inspire A LOT of different avoidance behaviors! Grout cleaning, anyone? I'm so glad it's summer.

What a beautiful shot. And a beautiful garden.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

You have way too much FUN!

Cindy said...

LOVE.