impedimentum

Skipping along on the Skiff Trail, I ran into an (obstacle) in the form of one brown bottle. It had such a catchy title, I tried one. It only takes one of these to change your day!

Temporis Causa

Denise and I ( on the spur of the moment ) took a skiff trip, in the manner of the ancient Celts.

Rather than an actual boat, we chose a pickup to carry our provisions. This turned out to be a wise choice, for in three days, we covered a lot of ground. Terrain wasn't the goal, but the situation provided a surplus of happy visits.

Farm-Aid

Aqua et ignis

The Romans called it the necessary things of life (water & fire). The Zen expression would be, "Chop wood, carry water". Wm T. would voice this sentiment as, "Getting back to the fundamentals."

Language

Back on the farm, in the summer of 1954, I heard this strange sequence of sounds. It was as if an animal were trying to sing, but hadn't mastered the language to create the necessary lyrics. So I quietly tip-toed up the stairs to see what my little brother Shawn was doing. The creaky steps must have telegraphed my move as he was focused on the doorway as I peaked around. He was standing in his playpen, one hand hanging on the rail to hold himself up, and the other clutching an empty plastic baby bottle which he was shaking vigorously. Ear to ear was the biggest grin I had ever seen. Pure animal joy spread across the face beneath the curly black hair.

My brother Mike had taught him to make this loud popping sound with his tongue against the roof of his mouth. The moment we made eye contact, Shawn commenced this loud popping like a dolphin with a amplifier. Fresh deck, new deal, out of the pen, a new day was dawning!

Spelling

Butch had dyslexia, which caused him a host of trouble in the classroom, but it certainly didn't interfere with his ability to attract girls. One of my tasks as his younger brother was to read the notes that these girls would send. In one of these letters, a girl complained that her friends thought that she was a "hor". Since I had never seen this word before, I assumed it must be street slang for horrible. It became necessary for me to interpret as best I could to arrive at some meaning. So I said to Butch, "This girl isn't a very good speller, apparently her friends think she is horrible!". Butch just smiled there, sitting in his chair, and said, "Keep reading". This reminds me of one of his expressions, but I haven't a clue as to its origin. "You can lead a horse to water, but if it's a pencil, it has to be lead."

For CQ

Perhaps, along with Robin Williams, Gary Larson is the funniest cat out there!

Curious Cows

These cows all ran over to the fence together when one of them noticed that I had a camera. Is that where herd mentality originated?

Festival of Hope

Denise, Erin and I arrived on time in spite of the fact that the GPS blocked out the whole town of Port Hope, and told us in a firm, polite voice to make a u turn. So, "Needless to say, say it anyway", we continued north. Our ace in the hole was the fact that the grocery store owner knew, beyond this particular blackout zone, was the Port Hope lighthouse.

Nolo Contendere

As fighter pilots love to say, "We have a visual." My first recollection of my brother Butch is in a school setting. The two of us standing outside the building, in front of its three entry doors. This imposing building is brick and glass, straight up as far as the eye could see, at least three stories. I 'm baffled as to why we are outside, as the learning is taking place inside the building. But here we are.

I'm in first grade, Butch is already in second, still maintaining his early lead. While we are standing there I notice that two of the three doors are wired shut from the outside . Then in a blur, all the glass sections of the doors are filled with faces. Pained expressions fill all but the lower ones. The doors won't open, and everyone is piling backup the stairs. Invisible power holds sway here. . The fire drill is reenacted to a successful conclusion, after the wire is removed, and Butch and I are too.

Not a Vacuum

"Believe it or not, not withstanding your lot, the lot that you got, stands for you." Loudon Wainwright III penned this truth years ago. Counterpoint to Bacon's, "Nature hates a vacuum."

Cleaned my garage today torn between these truths and opted for a half truth. If I used my shop vacuum, then it would be at least half clean, ipso facto.