Idle Thoughts and Other Comments
Random ramblings from a curmudgeon spanning two millenia.
A neighbor stopped by the other day to take a garden tour. While we were walking through the trails she asked the secret to our gardening. I told her It’s easy to grow stuff, the challenge comes down to managing the dead stuff, not just weeds but the flowers and garden plants too.
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The spring planting on the compound is pretty much done. We were lucky to have a late spring this year so we had a little extra time. There was an unfortunate hail storm one night a couple of weeks ago which did some natural pruning to the hostas and volunteer bleeding hearts. They seem to be coming back with the help of a week of sunny, cool days. […]
It’s early morning and I am released from my nightly captivity of the house, I leap onto the deck railing with the smooth viscosity of crude oil flowing uphill.
From my vantage point I survey the garden for the slightest movement.
My constantly twitching ears catch the faint rustling sound of a trespassing rodent looking for food in the undergrowth.
Like a shadow on the moon, a black form with no substance, I jump down and make my way along the hedgerow. The siren song of the starlings announces my presence.
Oblivious to the screaming birds my prey continues to forage in the grass for its morning grain. The breeze brings his blood scent to my nostrils. It sets my hunting instincts on fire.
I bend low, moving silently, closer to the rodent. Then I stop, still without sound. I deepen my crouch, the sinews of my rear haunches tightening with a need to strike like an over-wound clock.
With a single leap I dispense feline justice. My prey has no time to cry out.
The temptation to devour my victory is a strong one. But the apes have been good to me recently. I will leave this one for them on their living room carpet. Their screams of delight are reward enough.
I hate spiders. I consider bugs of any kind a necessary evil but spiders are special to me because of the webs. And yes i know that spiders keep down the population of other flying bugs. And there starts but one of my love/hate relationships with all bugs. […]
Moral dilemmas come in all shapes and sizes. One of the most common is what does it take to be a good neighbor? Another is how do you avoid making enemies? These all come down to what is the definition of a good deed? […]