Expo, Uncapped

  En rout library, a trek under the sun in stupor, black Expo marker lying next to curb. It is a pen without a cap, a rhyme without reason, a man without a country. Its a piece of trash. It’s an inspiration, a remnant, not even worth noticing. A product of human imagination is a penny saved. White flour sack towels: lint free, make a nice adition to the home.

Ten Engines

Sunday: one Black and white engine with nine more to make a ten locomotive train. Simple, clear and succinct – no excess baggage cars. How many letters  comprise the word locomotive?

Shmeck’s Villa

Saturday scrap of palm tree notepaper. I wish I had a coconut grove.

Year Round

   New collections appear along the trail: designs of nature and creatures of God. Spring is full of surprises!

   Evidence of tail dragging can be found. What began as one turtle crossing mark turns into a proliferation. Low amplitude sine waves connect the meadow side of the path to the bank of the creek. Dual tracks cross with a central X – major turtle activity. 

   Further up on the path a folded white paper receipt has absorbed moisture from a fine intermittent drizzle. The words YEAR ROUND can be read, and a price $2.52.

   Near picnic bend, a heron wades, then fades away in flight.

   On the way back is a circle of bark without the wood of the tree in it – like a wrist cuff without a break, a wide bangle. I take footage of this, it is unusual.

   A egg-headed heron stands on an overturned tree of great girth that goes across a tiny tributary of the creek. It stays put, assuming the Pose of  a Flamingo, although lacking its coloration.

  A dead field mouse lies on the path, poor dear, and I take its body to the edge of the woods for safe keeping.

   At the World’s Cleanest Grocery Store, I pick up some juice from the ever dwindling frozen concentrate selection – the same kind I always buy that has gone up another ten cents in price, two cans of cat food to feed the clan and a French demi-baguette that will be breakfast with the jam at home.

   Self serve terminal 3 is open but not accepting of cash. Cash is all I have.

   The clerk at number 7 rings my $4.14 sale.

   “Would you like to buy pretzel rods for a dollar a package?”

    I note several packages emblazoned with the name bran UTZ, placed in the bagging area for convenience. White speckles of the bark of the pretzel trunks are conspicuous and suspicious.

  “Sea salt or regular?”

   “I don’t know.”

   “No, thank you.”

   At home I feed the kitties, finish coffee, prepare the toast, sit with the cats and read. My concentration is broken by surface guilt; it bothers me to have said no to the cashier. This will haunt me all day, making her feel badly when she was following a company directive for increasing add-on sales.

   An unpaid gas utility bill from yesterday rests in my calendar/planning book. I head out the door to pay it at the grocery. I plan to go stop at checkout seven and purchase some pretzel rods – it’s a contest and she gets credit for the sales. My purchase can help make her day.

   A bird flies near the front door as I step out of the house. Its wings are firm and outspread. Light peeks through fanned feathers. A tattered black bird, what do you know?

Great Blue Masking Tape

  We have only to report the sighting of great blue masking tape on the corners of base marble at an office building on Washington street. The special construction repair has been duly documented with photographs and while at studio, the photographer made a puzzle drawing using the concept. This occurred between 2:56 and 3:56 this afternoon. The adhesive continues to dry and take hold. No great blue herons, however. We appreciate your interest.

Air Heron

   Relief in sight: heron flying above interstate 84 near exit 12 and Beacon, New York at 9:20 this morning. It seemed to be heading northeast; my travel was west.

   Earlier today before 5:30 am watched a deer leap over guard rail spearating woods from six lanes of road near Acton Massachusetts. Vehicular travel was light at the time, and building steadily as the sunrise. This vision lingered with me all day although I tried to chake it – my concern for the animal’s welfare and the mirror of my own mortality. The deer also may know no fear and know that the world is a safe place. Fatal leaps, leaps of faith, and instinctual moves. 

   Somewhere along the way a radio band brought the death poll, a repugnant portion of programming. A truck lost a web belt ontothe road, a truck with eyelashes of equipment on the back of the cab’s exterior.

   I just hope that deer is OK because I see too many deer bodies strewn on the roads. The heron was free.

Time Change

  The Blessing of the Seeds was to take place May 6 at 10:15 a.m. In an earlier post we had published the time at 6:15 a.m. We regret the error and apologize for any inconvenience this might have caused.

Blessing of the Seeds

  took place this past Sunday at 6:15 a.m. according to a sign. Three herons fly over the area as I walk from work to my car at 6:17 this morning, a considerable blessing on the day. A shed with four colors: a dark red half of the tin roof and a light red; grey wood siding on one half and white on the other. I brake for coffee. At the grocery store parking lot spot a lost list containing the words “pecans onion stk kleenex.” Read a reference from China to eating crane meat – a culture that reveres the bird as a symbol of longevity nevertheless allows for eating it. Why do we eat chicken?

   Anticipating the Master Gardeners’ plant sale this weekend. In the afternoon rain see the silly sight of a red Toyota with giant eyelashed. All creatures great and small…seeds to all grow tall.

Moms Love Car Wash Booklets

  and other prominent sayings are on display at various venues around town: a car wash, a storage facility and other businesses that escape immediate memory and might be noted in my sketchbook which is momentarily separated from its owner.

   Did you know you can now buy stainless steel straws to help reduce the number of plastic straws in the wastestream? Do you know how many varieties of solar lighting are on the market? Do you know what fun it is to shop Oriental Trading? It’s bazaar! 

   One heron spotted this morning, in flight at 8:44. None to report from over the weekend. Hope you have a good week. I like I’ll Have Another in the Derby.

Cinco de Mayo de Cinco

  Because it is a 5 year. today is triple fives: Cinco de Mayo, Derby Day and Weis – the World’s Cleanest Grocery Store - 100 anniversary celebration.

   For Cinco de Mayo have lined up for a free T-shirt at Moe’s. and made some video of the event, which included cheering and a countdown at 11;)00 am by eight high school lads who were the first to arrive and were there by ten. A fellow who was about 30th in line wore a red shirt with the slogan KKeep calm eat more bananas. Come to think of it, the librarian was eating a banana this morning at 9:00 when I stopped in.

   A scan of the Derby Day card has me liking Gemologist and Burgomeister as the top two picks and the chestnut horse – I like all of them and I don;t bet. Good horseflesh!

   Went through more rounds of bill paying and cat feeding and errands and studio work and garden planning and am so glad that Jack White is back in full force on Blunderbuss. He’s a favorite.

   Weis treated guests to birthday cake ice cream and birthday cake and the server of these delicasies pointed out to me the great deals today only on select items throughout the store and would I like a flyer? Asparagus at $1 a a per  pound ah yes and green beans reduced to pennies an ounce.

  Two cans of kitty food for the diatribe and a new sketchbook at Michaels. Enjoy the great outdoors and happy 5/5/5 to all. Mucho

Feliz et amor tambien por los todos!

Hi Unc!