Hollow Weenie

It's the last day to enjoy before the long-handled shoehorn emerges, before the nifty nabber sock puller debuts, before Sponge Bob Square Pants straps on his sponge, and before the evil coach barks commands like Bo Pellini.  This is more than vaguely disturbing, like that greeting card of the clown eating a hot dog.  The card says, "There are more than 10 things wrong with this picture."  Funny, but...

A walk at dawn captured some of the wrongs and shoveled them out.

Snow on boats, apples unpicked, cars blocked in their garages...

That's better now.
Hats off, take a bow.

Bring on the shoehorn.

Oct 30

The majority of chores were completed before snowfall yesterday.  The boat was pulled out of the water, trailered, and hauled home.  The snowblower was installed on the tractor.  Two vacuum cleaners from the lake were deposited in the dumpsters at the dump, along with an empty paint can and two aluminum chairs.  The boxes of books were donated to the Goodwill.  And the chips and soda were purchased from the grocery store amid the madhouse of prestorm shoppers.

This morning it is still snowing with temperatures right around freezing.  The shovel is too heavy with snow to lift.  So snoozing followed by rum and cokes are the goals for today.

Oct 29

The day began with writing positive affirmations for the upcoming joint surgery.  And when there were six affirmations on the page, three for Jim and three for myself, it was too embarassing to publish.  Imagine that!  How 'bout them Cardinals?
Instead, I'll show the four vacuum cleaners stowed in the house, three in one room.  What's up with that?

To prepare the camp for the evening's winter storm, all that's left is the removal of the boat and the untying of the dock lines.

And to do something with all those vacuums.  They suck.  Too many u's.

Moey's BDay

One birthday, one half birthday to celebrate.
One receives mala beads, one receives a red stone, shawl and newspaper.  Went all out this year.  Those born on this day are travelers, firm in their direction, compassionate and dutiful.
The winds will blow today from the Northeast carrying cold Canadian air.

My phone weather flashed a big red one on the severe weather button; winter storm warning for Saturday, 6 inches of heavy wet snow.  Time to pull the boat out of the water.  Tomorrow morning, maybe, after the house is dusted and cleaned.  Grasshopper.

Oct 27

It's time to take the desktop wallpaper of Courthouse and Jail Rock Golf Course down and exchange it for some wintry scene, as in the airplane on skis in front of the house on the frozen lake.  Snow in the  mountains, cold rain here.  Maybe a snowshoeing picture.

Our neighbor went to Florida yesterday.  She picked all the apples off her tree but didn't get around to using them, so she handed them over to me.  I've already made 2 apple cakes with her apples, the cakes lasting all of a day or two.

Now, more apples, no Florida sunshine, and no neighbor to drink martinis with.  Honey apple baker don't care.

Oct 26

Today, from a series of photographs, a story will emerge in your mind, in paragraph form.  Our minds invariably put together a narrative from the fragments and pieces floating inside and out, from the inner world and the external environment.

And the story doesn't necessarily have to proceed in order of the photographs.

And the story will be exactly what we perceive.

And your story will be different from my story.

And that's the beauty of each of those drops in the ocean, those grains of sand on the beach.

Christmas in October

Yesterday's Float Removal Activity

Today we are attending Joint Replacement Class from 8-11.  As a coach, I am responsible for enthusiastically inspiring the patient to exercise twice a day for 20 minutes each time.  This is in a patient who believes that a certain number of heartbeats are allotted to one person in a lifetime, why use them up with exercise?  Nevertheless, as that is my role, I am scheming the easiest and most productive methods.

Sticks?

Carrots?

Cake?

Carrot Cake. 

Oct 24

Today the floats come off the airplane.  To mark the dawn of this auspicious event, as I was admiring the airplane reflection, a muskrat swam under the dock walkway, approaching from the direction of our neighbor to the left,

in the direction of Rosebud, our neighbor to the right.  No stopping here!  Last year we poured bleach on the little bugger's muddy attempts to winter under our dock.  He must have remembered how close he came to the business end of a Beretta.  Good little muskrat!!

Oct 23

Cramming in the float flying for the weekend, we flew over Lion's Point on Little Sebago Lake, wandered north for fuel at Twitchell's, and meandered to the west.

Near Lake Auburn, we flew over the Maize Maze.  Most everyone was buying pumpkins, not getting lost in the maze.  We buzzed a couple places on the way, and splashed down before nap time.

Oct 22

The subtle impressions of a morning begun with the sun salutation are too subtle for the sun this morning, still hidden behind clouds.
The secret clover patch yielded two extra-leafed clovers yesterday, one of which is now sandwiched between a folded paper towel, in a plastic bag, underneath seven books.

The other 6-leafed clover remains in the green patch on the left.  There, the not-so-subtle impressions of vehicle tracks pack down the clover farm and make room for walkers through the dew. 
We are preparing for winter.  Airplane floats to be removed, boats onto their trailers and tied to trees, wood ring resupplied,  The fixin's for chili danced in their heads.

Power vs Force

Athletes pump themselves up before a competition, swinging their arms, jumping up and down, breathing a bellows breath, using any means to get ready for maximum effort.

Yesterday I remembered a time long ago, right before a fast pitch softball tournament, when it seemed like fire was coming out of my eyes and I could not contain the power.  That night I pitched strikes without effort, every ball released perfectly where it slammed into the catcher's glove, in the strike zone, before the batter even saw the ball.

After the win, our team celebrated at Casey's Bar, but I could not come away from the ferocity.  It took a long walk home to dissipate all that focused energy into something more manageable.
That's what I'm doing today after a fire ritual at sunset last night.  A long walk to the far edge of the woods to the secret spot by the pond to look for 4 leaf clovers and release the fierce honey badger.

The Honey Badger Shot

by Camper English

1 part Laphraoig single-malt scotch whisky

1 part Wild Turkey American Honey

Add scotch then honey liqueur to a shot glass. Say "Honey badger don't care," then down the shot.

Oct 20

Sometimes the way forward seems insurmountable, impassable, impossible.

Sometimes the view is skewed; the picture didn't turn out like the perception.

Sometimes the outcome is not in one's control.  Sometimes a certain grace descends to shift the tree-crowded picture of the little rockpile summit

into a resplendent view.  That's grace, all right.  I'd know her anywhere.

Oct 19

The thing about goods from India is that they have a short growing season in Maine.

All the gauzy cottons and homemade paper journals are fine for our 2.5 months of summer, already past.  But Gandhi did not have to contend with winter at his ashram.  It is no wonder my vow of poverty back then in the impressionable years lasted only two months. Then the hands started bleeding from stress eczema and the search was on for heavier jackets, a car with a heater, and a job.  None of these see-through garments today will do, and a gumcha for a blanket is like a dainty linen hanky in the northeast winds to come.

Oct 18

Back to the old tricks...

Today's hike will be Mt. Osceola and East Osceola on the far side of New Hampshire,

close to Loon Mountain and Waterville Ski Areas.  Supposedly this is an easy to moderate hike with splendid views.  Mt. Jefferson was on the list, but the winds are high today and will be higher above treeline. 

Easy sounds good.

Oct 17

Shiva, the God of destruction, is said to ride a black dog and is often accompanied by dogs.

Durga, the warrior goddess, is honored in Varanasi in a red temple that absolutely pulsates just like a heartbeat.  She is said to ride a tiger and her consort is Bhairav, the fierce aspect of Shiva, riding his black dog.

Sunrise on the Ganga in Varanasi looks amazingly like sunset on the Ganga in Allahabad, some 75 miles away.

 The Lotus Temple in Delhi was clean, well organized and peaceful.

 Sunset on the Ganga from the sacred grove outside of Allahabad.

And the sweet Lalitha temple near Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi provided comfort.  All the temples demonstrated different energy depending on the time of day, the entity enshrined and celebrated, the crowd, the number of dogs.  Photography is not allowed in most of the central altars of active shrines.  Mostly I did not sneak pictures, caught up as we were in the high energy of the moment, the bell clanging, the clapping, the monkeys, the glittering saris, the dogs in shadow, the priests with prasad, the whiskey, the rupees, the red powder, the heat, the fantastical appearances of hindrances and helpers.

Oct 16

One day our Khajuraho delegation walked through an adjacent Indian village for a visit.

There we saw the community well,

community bathing spot and water collection,

and schoolhouse.

As we passed a doorway, one of the women invited our group into a compound of sorts.

There we saw about four families living in shelters in close proximity, not necessarily related, but sharing the space beneath a neem tree,

doing all things that people do at home, like putting on makeup,

doing laundry,

babysitting,

and getting ready for the day.

 Some were more happy to see us than others.