I Could Have Danced All Night

We've had a mostly wonderful day in Coeur d'Alene today, starting with breakfast with family, a few hours by the lake* in the sun, watching osprey and people, dogs and seaplanes. Then a yummy Mexican lunch, followed by a much needed siesta!

Then there was the wedding. Two hours of Latin mass. Hot, stuffy old building. Stand, sit, genuflect (which I elected not to do). A single fly buzzes around my head, lands on my neck every 30 seconds. Sweat trickles down my back, thirst parches my throat. I am sleepy, cranky, I need coffee. This is not a joyful event as are the weddings I'm accustomed to. The bride and groom are obviously happy and in love, but this archaic ceremony in this very old mission church feels almost threatening to this lesbian Pagan.

And then it's over and the reception is joyful and fun and feels inclusive. I get to meet some of Laurie's extended family, finally. We dance when the DJ calls for ''only married couples'' to take the floor.

I took many lovely photos of the wedding party, the osprey on the lake, the cute antics of the flower girl. But nothing touched me as much as Laurie's 96 year old aunt Charlotte dancing up a storm!

*lake Coeur d'Alene is 25 miles long, 3 miles across at its widest point and 220 feet deep at its deepest.