Winter Observations
A few winter observations:
Here in southeast Michigan we got hit with an ice storm a few days ago, like much of the rest of the country. Once again, I find myself enjoying what other people find irritating. I just can't ignore the sense of beauty an ice-covered world bestows, even if I have to scrape my windshield, slip on ice, and freeze my ass off. I like how trees covered with ice, so weighted down that some of them fall over, when flooded with sunlight almost seem to be floating. I like how at sunset it's like autumn all over again, with orange light for leaves in the ice-sheathed branches. I like the crackling sound in the air when those branches are hit by the wind. I like watching squirrels slide off the roof.
Speaking of animals and such, you don't see a lot of crows anymore. Not around here anyways, thanks to West Nile Virus. I remember one autumn watching for several minutes as a giant flock passed overhead. Must have been two or three hundred of them, just a continual stream of crows stretching across the sky. Now it's rare to see even a couple. It's a shame, I always liked 'em. Huge, noisy, cocky black birds-- what's not to like? The last few days I've finally been seeing some, a flock of maybe 20-30 of them. It's good to see they're bouncing back, or at least I hope they are.
The box of hot cocoa I bought expounds on the healthy anti-oxidants present in cocoa, going on to say it's part of a healthy lifestyle to drink their product. Meanwhile, it's full of corn syrup solids, artificial flavorings, and hydrogenated oils. It's ok, I know this and choose to drink it anyways. But be up front about it, Nestle. Hot chocolate made with that stuff is not good for you, and it's alright to admit that. People will still drink hot chocolate.
On a completely unrelated note, remember the tale about the tortise and the hare? Can someone please explain to me why is that used as an admonition not to race ahead in things? First of all, it's a race, you're supposed to run. But more importantly, the only thing it teaches is not to take a nap until after you win the race. The hare had the tortise beaten from the word go, if only he weren't so lazy. This fable should not be used to teach "life is a marathon, not a sprint", it should be used to say "hurry up and get back to work, sleep profits nothing and you'll have plenty of time for it when your dead".
On second thought, maybe it's a good thing people misunderstand this...
Here in southeast Michigan we got hit with an ice storm a few days ago, like much of the rest of the country. Once again, I find myself enjoying what other people find irritating. I just can't ignore the sense of beauty an ice-covered world bestows, even if I have to scrape my windshield, slip on ice, and freeze my ass off. I like how trees covered with ice, so weighted down that some of them fall over, when flooded with sunlight almost seem to be floating. I like how at sunset it's like autumn all over again, with orange light for leaves in the ice-sheathed branches. I like the crackling sound in the air when those branches are hit by the wind. I like watching squirrels slide off the roof.
Speaking of animals and such, you don't see a lot of crows anymore. Not around here anyways, thanks to West Nile Virus. I remember one autumn watching for several minutes as a giant flock passed overhead. Must have been two or three hundred of them, just a continual stream of crows stretching across the sky. Now it's rare to see even a couple. It's a shame, I always liked 'em. Huge, noisy, cocky black birds-- what's not to like? The last few days I've finally been seeing some, a flock of maybe 20-30 of them. It's good to see they're bouncing back, or at least I hope they are.
The box of hot cocoa I bought expounds on the healthy anti-oxidants present in cocoa, going on to say it's part of a healthy lifestyle to drink their product. Meanwhile, it's full of corn syrup solids, artificial flavorings, and hydrogenated oils. It's ok, I know this and choose to drink it anyways. But be up front about it, Nestle. Hot chocolate made with that stuff is not good for you, and it's alright to admit that. People will still drink hot chocolate.
On a completely unrelated note, remember the tale about the tortise and the hare? Can someone please explain to me why is that used as an admonition not to race ahead in things? First of all, it's a race, you're supposed to run. But more importantly, the only thing it teaches is not to take a nap until after you win the race. The hare had the tortise beaten from the word go, if only he weren't so lazy. This fable should not be used to teach "life is a marathon, not a sprint", it should be used to say "hurry up and get back to work, sleep profits nothing and you'll have plenty of time for it when your dead".
On second thought, maybe it's a good thing people misunderstand this...
posted by Brandon at 6:53 PM
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