Wednesday, January 14, 2015

encountering reality

in my garage i hung a window frame
and it frames... just wood
  i went for a ski after resting
and at the trailhead were two huge trucks, a trailer,
 and a beast of a load moving machine with tracks.
the trail was trashed 
but there was obviously some reason.
 i tried to stay inbetween
because the horizontal track was very slow.
before i saw the hobbit house
i met a fellow peeing on the track, 
embarrassed him actually.
he quickly moved and apologized, kept trying to talk about it.
and i skied way over to the far left, 
intent on making no conversation.
 the thermometer read 4 degrees.
there was no wind,
pileated woodpeckers called
and there was more tractor-like noise.
 i was dazzled, 
but still the damn noises persisted.
i tried to pay attention to the woods.
 when a pileated woodpecker begins excavating a tree
it leaves distinctive holes
which elongate into furrows
that in this amazing tree
i can peer through.
can you see?
 then
i encountered this one trundling up the path. 
it had tracks that were diagonal
and therefore good to ski over.
convenient amidst inconvenience.
 i have skied and walked and even mountain biked this trail 
for 30 years
and have never seen maintenance guys on it
or equipment other than a stray snow machine
setting cross country trails.
before a more challenging site was developed.
 the guys (three at least)
cut out a dangerous nuisance tree that had come down on the trail 
and chipped it.
 on the way out they were hauling in two small bridges.
this work used to be done
on site, 
with minimal equipment.
 this stream is being bridged
and i mourn for the days
of intervention by human hauled equipment
not equipment hauling humans.
and humans taking a few little risks and
navigating tiny stream banks.
my heart get sad.
 i stopped at the latest flea market in town
saw one of my old students.
met his girlfriend.
and then i found something very amusing
 curiouser and curiouser
are human beings.

8 comments:

  1. Hi V - such a full and rich post - love looking at your surrounds - and so love the woodpecker tree - seeing light through the tree - almost looks like a cat eye. Go well and enjoy the snow. B

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  2. there is so little quiet anymore. like your photos for that

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  3. hope your landscape does not get invaded by the sound and the fury

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  4. barry, yes, that tree is a gift. the snow is very good.
    jude, i wonder why--
    neki, if it does i will loose the dragons. then look OUT!

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  5. men and their machines!! the woodpecker is creating a woodland sculpture. don't like those disembodied heads, especially the dolly one, think I had a doll that looked like that.

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  6. jean, that doll head is so familiar, but i'd rather they be female heads than headless female torsos, which always bother me no end.

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  7. Everything seems to be managed these days... no acceptance of what a little adventure over a stream might hold. I have fun memories of losing a snowshoed foot into a stream and then having to snowshoe with a huge pile of snow on the bottom of one shoe for the whole journey home. It was so funny, my friend and I kept keeling over in laughter. It was also quite a workout, but such a little unexpected surprise for our day. If there had been a bridge, the journey would have been only another little snowshoe.

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  8. valerie, too many safety nets now, and too many weapons, too.

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