The Villa

In the last post the villa represented my individual trailer once I moved in. Here it actually represents the whole area where I live, a name that fits well for this post and keeps truer to the definition of an actual villa.

I ran a couple days ago at lunchtime. During the run the sun beat down on my skin, cooking me slowly despite the thick sand in the air that shielded its rays. The dry air sucked the moisture from my lungs, adding to my perception of heat. It was a short run, so I ran faster. I victoriusly crossed the finish line formed where the curb separates the side lot from the street, and darted inside to cool off in the air conditioning. The air was cool but stagnant and not sufficient to bring down my temperature as fast as I wanted. When I went back outside the sun was still bright but the air blowing hard off the lake evaporated the sweat on my skin and cooled me far better than the machine back inside had. The wind was stronger than normal, the same wind that had brought in the thick blanket of sand in the sky twelve hours later blew the same massive sandstorm away. I had finished a bottle of water and sat down on the porch, the cool air from the lake still blowing strong, splashing tiny waves on the concrete shore. Today it was only 85 degrees, though by this time the weather usually toys with the idea of breaking 100. Today the sand overhead all moring had kept the air cool. I wanted to capture the scene, but with only a small camera this is the best I could do.

The deceptive heat of that bright sun and dry air while running seemed impossible after the fact, from the chair I sat in looking out over the small, shallow lake. If you look closely you can see patches of grass growing out of the water in the middle of the lake, it's bottom covered with a rich black mud that contrasts the powdery sand found everywhere above the water. When you fly over the lake you can see the bottom, though I have not flown over it yet. The water is usually clear to several feet, and supposedly was once filtered and crystal clear. Then the filters broke and the carp were the only fish to survive of many exotic varieties that once swam here. Off to the left is one of many small waterfront mini-palaces that line the lakefronts here. To the immediate left is a grill, essential for barbecuing, and to the right you can see the corner of one of the driving greens. Past the green an American flag rises out of the water (hidden here by the fence). The flag is attached to a square green, the aimed alternative to driving golf balls into the distance.

The other green carries an Australian flag. Supposedly the week before I arrived the Australians and Americans were engaged in a fierce golf competition. Having a boat, the Australians decided to replace one of our flags with theirs. As a result we stole their boat, put a baby pool in it, rowed it to the middle of the lake, anchored it, and returned in the baby pool. The Australians then constructed a raft with some waterproof pelican (brand name, no pelicans actually go inside) cases and went out to retrieve theit boat. So the story goes.

I will put some pictures up of my trailer later, just the inside though. If you imagine a large white box with three doors and three air conditioners symetrically positioned on one side you have imagined the outside. First I will have to tidy it up a bit. I made an attempt today at lunchtime to do a little straightening up but the weather was so beautiful that I had to run instead, in my news shoes, which felt great.