Big Sky Country

It has occurred to me that I live in big sky country. I mean, it's not Montana and I've never been to Montana but I understand the notion. Once in Brooklyn, for those who may remember, they tore down the municipal parking lot at the corner of Court and Atlantic (before they built the building where the Y is). I recall walking past there and standing there dumbfoundedly because I couldn't believe the vast amount of sky that had been revealed once the debris of the building was cleared away. For a few brief weeks, Cobble Hill was big sky country and I would make sure to pass by frequently during the week so that I could take in the space and the sky. In Jerusalem, for all the density and crowding, despite the dust and the mess, there is this blue sky to admire - every day (clouds notwithstanding). The skyline is barely a skyline by big city standards - a few tall buildings break through in different spots to punctuate a particular area but for the most part buildings are low rise, the tallest building is maybe 12 or so stories.

The sky is deeply blue - a cerulean blue, I think, and it's hue is deep with a saturation value that would need some careful mixing if I was to put the color to canvas. The sky extends over the city in a vast curvalinear shape, almost like a big bowl, and it extends out to the Jerusalem hills and beyond the edges of the city limits.

Yesterday, Akiva was visited by a social worker as part of a process by the local municipality that will get him some special services (not sure yet what these are but figure it can't hurt). Her name was Michelle and she's been here since '89, from Paris. We chatted about her experiences living here and how she felt about leaving Paris. I mentioned my love for NYC and that I miss the big buildings, the scads of people, the subway, the noise, the dirt. Michelle said she loves NYC and appreciates it as she appreciates the big cityness of Paris as well. But, she added, she loves the sky here and never tires looking at it, admiring it and reveling in it's vastness.

Akiva is starting a therapeutic riding program this week or next. It seems fitting for him to mount a horse here in the "Montana of the Middle East." The only question is, where do I pick him up a pair of chaps?