October 19, 2020
Good morning! Our yard experienced the first killing frost of the season — down to 25° F — early Sunday morning (21° F right now!); don’t know if it’s a new record for the latest date. The weather report I follow is forecasting a 100% chance of 6″ of snow in a day or two… gotta get those leaves raked. One week out it looks like we’re going to live in the teens and twenties for several days…
If you put oatmeal milk; i.e., liquid derived from water and oats, on your oatmeal does that mean you’re enjoying TWO bowls of oatmeal simultaneously?
Answers to last week’s poems puzzler: Gene McCarthy wrote the first one, The Maple Tree, and I the second. (Observe photo below) The prize goes to Mike Rysavy of Rochester, MN; thanks to all who responded. Among my more prized possessions is an autographed copy of Gene’s poignant poem.
Preserve, Protect, and Defend the Constitution
- In little more than a fortnight we will be involved with the quadrennial election as provided for in the United States Constitution.
- The other day someone asked me, “What does the Divine Right (Rule) of Kings/ Queens Mean?”
- I will confess to being a bit shocked at the question, isn’t that something taught to all of us in grade #5?
- But, better to learn at some point — even at age #81 — than never.
- With this one phrase, “… do ordain and establish this Constitution…” it can all be explained.
- The barely-dry words on paper were made holy making it no longer acceptable for a person to claim absolute or supreme power because of and/or FROM God.
- The words on paper were declared supreme over any and all humans, not for the first time in history, but arguably among the more important times.
- Lincoln might have said it best, “… an oath registered in heaven… to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution…” required of him if he wanted to serve.
- The Constitution was — and is — a deeply flawed document, but better to work with it, don’t you think, than to favour some other system?
- Our daughter is a highly educated, dedicated environmental scientist… and like artists, her work comes for the most part without financial reward, not even at a survival level.
- I admire her commitment and I’ve changed a few habits at her urging.
- With her vision and leadership we’re attempting to grow a small native species garden right in our front yard.
- A couple days ago, after she had prepared the soil, I thought it the perfect time to sow the few hundred seeds we had harvested from other such gardens with the help of a friend.
- I lovingly spread them on the newly-turned earth in the still of the morning and with my feet made sure each seed came into fertile contact with its new home.
- Two mornings later a huge herd of Slate Colored Juncos — hundreds of them, plus a few dozen finches — descended from nowhere and started feasting.
- It was as if a memorandum had been sent to all Juncos within five miles: Fresh Seeds on the Ground… come quickly!
- I do love the birds, but this was not a feast intended for them. Replant?
- What follows is among my favourite stories of all times… I’ll provide it to you in Dickensian style over the next two or three weeks:
- “I’ve been blessed to have seen much of the United States as a result of traveling for my work, Scouting, Rotary – and also for adventure and family vacations. I treasure the history, geography, culture, and overall majesty of the world in which we live.
- I hope I get to see lots more of it before dying.
- In the mid-1990s I was on one of these trips with my family. Customarily we get started before sunrise in order to beat the tourists. Plus, the mornings are too beautiful and precious to miss. On the last day of any given adventure I usually declare we’re going to get on the road at about 4 AM, or perhaps even earlier – in order to drive the final hundreds of miles back home.
- Not much productivity happens on the final day of anything, ever notice? So, you might as well get up early and drive.
- On this trip we were in Denver, having watched a baseball game in that beautiful ball park the night before. Up we sprang at 4 AM and we were on the road a short twenty minutes later.
- It was a gorgeous morning and it was one of those days where you’re able to average better than 70 miles per hour; with some luck we’d be back home that evening before dark – even allowing for a couple stops for petroleum and value menu ninety-nine cent double cheeseburgers.
- More than 100 miles had clicked by on the odometer by about 6 AM and I was feeling great. Because it was the end of July and the northern hemisphere, I knew the sun would be getting up just to the left of the steering wheel, slightly to the northeast.
- I was starting to think about moving the sun visor into position so that I wouldn’t be blinded when the sun came over the horizon…” (to be continued)
Feeding the World
By Michael A. Mullin
I watched with rapt attention, fascination,
as a steady stream of tractor trailer trucks disgorged
autumn’s harvest into the massive silos alongside the Mississippi.
Each semi took its five minute turn unloading the farmers’ yield.
Golden kernels from area fields mixed with trillions of others,
all destined for New Orleans by way of steel barge.
Dozens of drivers dismounted in a nearby staging area
await their turns to unload; they tell stories, some of them true,
about when times weren’t so good, the harvest so plentiful,
losing money each minute they wait.
Forty trucks fill a cavernous barge.
Nine or twelve or even fifteen barges joined together
make the journey to the Big Easy.
What then?
The world gets fed.
And everyone goes back for another load, another bumper crop,
all relying without realizing it on the farmer who rises at dawn
and goes to work without anyone telling her she must.
And the world gets fed.
©2017 Michael A. Mullin
