You Must Enter to Win

   For want of a nail. Or a nut or a bolt. Sizzlepuss’s rule of auto mechanics: Car trouble is to life trouble. So, when the power steering fails and the belt’s dangling, what’s a Big Rock roller to do? No DIY. Ask: Who or what exactly is steering my life? Who’s got the power? How do I get from point A to Point B? Right now, it’s by Focusing.  Enterprise and Enterprising Jeff rented me a black Focus this morning so I can carry on with my baggage.

Walking after two day’s absence. The greening of the North American earth. Pond turtles sunning on logs in the locks, little adorablenesses. A minnow. The animated conversation of two ladies on the topic of cleaning out the refrigerator: relayed hear-say:

“This chicken’s two weeks old!”

“No it’s not, if it were two weeks old it would smell.”

(They see me smiling:)

“You’re laughing!”

“These are our arguments. On a regular basis.”

 Can I be charged as a tattle-tale for this?  So funny, so true, so eeeww.

The Sudoku Rebus for today starts with: Enterprise. Rent a Car. Enter prize. Enter for a Prize. Ent. Focus. Focus factor. Like lines through a magnifying glass. Focus. Suffolk. Norfolk. Suffolk Downs. There’s Southern folk and there’s Northern folk. S.folk. N. folk. Suffolk and Norfolk like I said. Suffix and suffuse and stuffuse and stuff you use. Does that suffice? A word to the wise. Enterprise. Pick me up. We’ll pick you up. Focus. Coffee. Enter, come in Enter to win. Enter. Look up COME.  A parabola. Page pairs: flurry and focus. Blurry and focus. It’s a four day. Count your blessings and Enter for a Prize.

Big Rocks Make It

BLOG

 

   Endless devotee of time and task management reading, I am. From Dustin M. Wax at Lifehack: 50 Tricks to Get Things Done: Push the Big Rock. Hey! That’s what Sisyphus does! Of course, there is the snowball effect, so if you start with a small rock, it grows into a big rock the more you push. Friction smooths it out, making the ball bearing better.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/50-tricks-to-get-things-done-faster-better-and-more-easily.html

What on Earth?

A zillion uber earthworms over the top of the asphalt, after the spring rain.
Things that have fallen: A dead mole on the path, body still soft. Poor thing! Move it to the grass next to a tree. A dead frog, dropped prey? Unusual sighting, kind of sad. Splat. Tongue or mouth squooshed. It is gone when I double back.
Heron facing the far bank near the pipeline crossing, looks busy. Another flies near the red covered bridge, legs together, tight, lands and unfolds, rounds and softens. Even its coloration changes to mauve.
Cheerful signs of life: bold, bright daffodils near the limestone cliffs. A chipmunk chattering and skittering.
Left behind near the parking area: Open angel glasses: lightweight, damp, limp cardboard puckered around the clear plastic eye holes. “Fluttering Angels in every point of light” is written above the nose piece. Remnant of December’s Holiday Lights Exhibit. Sponsors’ souvenier strip, with a line from It’s a Wonderful Life, Every Time a Bell Rings.
Token warning on the other side: “These glasses are not intended for use over extended time, looking into the sun, performing physical activity, driving vehicle or operating machinery. Any other use of this product is not recommended. U.S. Patent 5,548,198.”
Sign for the Eggstravaganza egg hunt April 4. Easter is coming up.
At the craft store, a mother and daughter probe the ribbons in sidewalk sale bin: “That’s definitely not Easter. I think it’s Christmas.”
To earn my wings. Want to be worth worms.

Spotted: On Cherry, On Washington

A woman walking on Cherry Street in the Thursday afternoon rain. She carries an umbrella of cherry-printed fabric.
A grade school bus: girl in the front seat above the stairwell standing holding her artwork across the window pane like a handsome transom.

Shadow

Shadow

 

 
  A German shepherd dog on the path. Do I have the heart to tell them No Pets on the trail?  No, I do not.

   It has been a fine day for herons, a real elegant beauty flying, posing, fishing. In lieu of the ability to determine the bird’s gender, it’s the girl heron the guy herons all want to meet, the guy the girl herons go for. Not the same as Gil Scott Heron or the girl scouts, but related.

In the Lost and Found and Dropped departments find a fishing license receipt for $21.40, a spongy shape, and a fruit packet wrapper. Hieroglyphic symbols on path, some x’s and a  # (pound) sign.

   The dog is big at eight months, the dog is growing, the dog needs to get outside. They live in the city, they say. I believe them. The DCNR (Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) guy said it was OK to have dogs on the path on a leash, which they do. They look around with furtive glances because one of the runners has told them otherwise. The dog skulks, partly because of the new environment, the unfamiliar people, sights sounds smells; partly sensing the owners’  confusion. The leash is aqua or turquoise.

   The dog is kind, the owners are kind, young, green. One of the park guys accosts us by the red bridge and says I’m sorry, no dogs allowed in the county park, been that way for 30 years. The DCNR guy was here doing a goose count, how was he to know the policy?

   The park guy returns to his red truck. Don’t shoot the messenger. Shadow lingers. Shadow lingers with me, and it’s not even my Shadow. We only met on the same path. She is my Shadow. I hope her owners sustain her, that she never knows a pound sign.

Seven League Boots and a Dress with Two Sashes

Seven stands for creativity, and we like nothing better than making giant leaps of reasoning, so we put on our seven league boots to cover seven leagues per stride, which, if we really could, would be interesting. Who knows what wonderful things could be seen, what people met, what experiences gone through. 

With sneakers only and at human (snail) pace, see a pennant-pose heron in the bright morning sun, and while focusing on one heron upstream at the metal bridge, watch another arrive and the pair fly in an arabesque.

 Lost and found dept: Someone has left a ticket stub from 3/7/2009. MET LA SONNAMBULA DL it reads.

Also someone has either stashed or jettisoned a pack of Camel menthols with a black lighter.

It’s quiet out today. Twenty five degrees and clear. The smell of woodsmoke is in the air at the ten-post. A new flyer for an organized Birdwalk Tuesday March 31 replaces the one for Woodcocks March 12.

   The Seven Seas play into the Sudoku Rebus. There are several versions of the seven seas, according to when and where one lives or has lived, ancient and modern and post-modern. Delightful writing in Wickipedia, from Ya’qubi, 9th century AD, refreshing idea:

“Whoever wants to go to China must cross the seven seas, each with its own color and wind and fish and breeze, completely unlike the sea that lies beside it.”

Hall of Fame, Inspected By

Curt Schilling. Hall of Fame debate. Bloody sock. Four felled trees. Frosted goose rose at dawn. Mate on the path, guarding. Glittery fringe. Heron in the tip of the  toppled tree tops near the middle of the creek. Two runners, one other walker. Arby’s coupon FREE (with fries and drink, regular price) at the parking lot. Lost or left behind: litttle girl’s pink bow barrette. A black string with knot in one end and undone from of knot in other, a kink. Heron on the near side, in the water, almond shaped. Grey. Orange bill. Punk rock look: smooth grey feathers in its body; spiky lighter grey ones jutting out neatly, natural coiffure. Skunk near the auxiliary entrance. Twenty-four degrees. Hammerhead tear strip: Consume 1-2 servings per hour as needed. Inspected by number two. Twenty four: two dozen.

Smooth Nylon Shrimp

Good morning, little suction cups! The website Pink Tentacle brings to our attention the fascinating world of Smooth Nylon Shrimp: part nature, part sci-fi/SFX,  part new rock band name. Visit today for an interesting oceanic experience! Hold on to your seats!

 http://www.pinktentacle.com/2008/10/shrimp-defense-glowing-blue-spit-cloud-video/

Weekend Warrior: Daffodils, tres chic!

Tres Vintage!

Warrior welcomes spring. The Daffodils! Tray chic. Tres vintage.

The Heron Report: Victor says the temperature was 25 degrees this morning. One heron is along the middle stretch. The windshield has ice florets that find their way into today’s art work. Ave! Hop! Joy!

Seven Youths and Seven Virgins

This is the diet of the Minotaur. Is Birthday Cake a fair substitute?

7 Youths and 7 Virgins