Clockwork

[H2O Man]

After watching the morning news, I found myself remembering what a Clan Mother told me many years ago: when the world starts spinning faster and faster, take time to slow down and clear your mind. In times past, Friday through Sunday were usually slow news days, with an occasional news dump. That is something that has changed since Trump took office.

Hence, I decided to work on my lawn-mower, at least until I found I had purchased the wrong-sized part. So I went out to the pond with my dog Kelly. On the walk out, I saw a young buck, which had been a fawn last year, eating the corn and sunflower seeds at the bird feeders. He watches us closely as we take a different path, and goes back to eating.

Kelly picks up a scent of great interest to him. I assume that he is following the path of the gray fox that come daily to our lawn, to scavenge any left-over cat and dog food. They have come since late April, when the female was clearly very pregnant. In the past week, the male and female come at the same time, and so I expect to see the kits by the end of the month.

As hot and humid as it is strolling along the path through the swamp, it is even hotter at the pond. Kelly immediately goes in for a drink and a quick swim. This signals to the fish that they are about to be fed. The Koi arrive first; the two largest ones always come very close to Kelly's legs. On this warm a day, even though I've brought extra fish food, it disappears within minutes.

There are numerous dragon flies, including one large, colorful fellow that found me curious when I tossed the fish food in. The Onondaga named them “mosquito hawks.” About a dozen of them are doing their duties around the pond.

Kelly is busy sniffing around, digging a hole here, rolling in the mud there. He reminds me of what is associated with a four-year old child's development: he plays for 5 or 6 minutes, comes over to interact with me, then goes back to playing for 5-6 minutes, then checks in again. Eventually, it's time to feed him, and we head back to the house.

My youngest daughter had mowed a section at the edge of our lawn, and built a nice fire pit from the stones she gathered nearby. We had used up the firewood she gathered the evening before, when we had cooked out and listened to her favorite Beatles' songs. While Kelly eats, I gather enough fire wood to last late into the night, for her and a friend who is coming over when they get off work on their summer jobs.

After supper, I turn on the television. Friday nights have changed. “Like clockwork,” I say to myself, as I listen to reports on Sean Spicer and Jeff Sessions. “The president is a Clockwork Orange.”

[a kennedy]

1. "The President is a Clockwork Orange"

[grantcart]

11. Iconic

[H2O Man]

20. I find myself

calling him some other, more common names. But I liked this one.

[H2O Man]

19. Thanks!

[Ligyron]

25. Good book, better movie.

[Gabi Hayes]

84. Agreed....

[Shrike47]

2. Lovely. Thank you.

[H2O Man]

21. Thank you!

[Liberal Jesus Freak]

3. Thank you.

I'm trying so hard to limit my news obsession. Reading this both relaxed and inspired me. At least for now, there are still small things to be enjoyed

[H2O Man]

33. Thanks!

I also try to read more each day, rather than watch tv or be on the computer. Local library book sales are a great thing!

[Solly Mack]

4. Well done!

[H2O Man]

34. Thank you.

[gademocrat7]

5. Thanks, H2O Man

[H2O Man]

35. Thank you!

[Tiggeroshii]

6. I love it!

[H2O Man]

36. Thanks!

[oxbow]

7. "The best revenge is a life well lived."

Sounds like a great life, sir.

[H2O Man]

37. Thanks, oxbow!

Days like yesterday help me re-charge the old batteries.

[Barack_America]

8. Thank you for this.

I'm trying to take solace in many of the same things.

I just saw our biggest buck for the first time today. It looks like he's going to have a nice rack this year. He was kind enough to drop half of last year's set in our yard.

[H2O Man]

38. Thank you.

We use antlers out at the lodge, which is close to the pond. None of us hunt, but my younger son son collects antlers. Besides the two pair I've found, he has more than a dozen pairs collected. I've considered using some for carving; I buy elk antlers for carving, a good hobby for an old man.

[Barack_America]

57. It's not often that...

...I pass the device over to my husband to read a post, but I did with yours.

So...cheers to you...from the campfire in our backyard.

[H2O Man]

59. Oh, thank you!

I hope that the two of you have an enjoyable evening!

[Me.]

9. KR

[H2O Man]

39. Thank you, Me!

[Me.]

43. You're Welcome

Enjoy your country idyll

[H2O Man]

73. Darcy just arrived.

She put in hours at Job Corp this morning (internship), then babysat for her cousin's kids. Besides getting paid by the parents, the children gave her a rabbit. She knows that I love rabbits.

[Me.]

76. Why Doesn't That Surprise Me

[MineralMan]

10. Whenever I see the word "Clockwork" or "Clockworks"

I think back to Tom Robbins' novel, "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and the Clock People. For me, ever since that book, Clockworks are never constant, but always random in nature. They aren't predictable, but operate on principles that can't be described or really understood.

For me, everything that is random and unpredictable is part of "the clockworks."

Perhaps you had to have been there at the time, whatever time that was...

[H2O Man]

40. I haven't read

the book, but did see the movie when it came out in the early 1990s (if I remember right, though it may have been a different time or place). There were a lot of outstanding actresses and actors in it.

Perhaps the republicans in Congress are practicing to do a re-make?

[MineralMan]

83. The book is better than the movie, by far.

Still, Robbins is not loved by all. You have to adapt to his unique way of telling the story. I remember a lot of people who gave up on it before they got very far.

[H2O Man]

88. Books almost always are

better than movies, at least in my opinion. Even if they don't feature Uma Thurman. And I don't think that the movie's solid cast and high budget resulted in a success.

Malcolm X used to say that books were his alma mater.

For a variety of reasons, I've restricted myself to non-fiction reading since high school. A friend on DU used to scold me for that habit, which has lasted many decades. However, one can only read a fraction of the books published in one lifetime.

[MineralMan]

89. I'm also primarily a non-fiction reader.

I've been that way all my life, but I do pick up a novel from time to time to clear the brain.

[H2O Man]

95. One of the nice things

about life in rural, upstate New York is that area libraries have book sales in the summer months. It provides me with an excuse to make one of my infrequent trips to civilization. I can't afford to buy every new book that I'd like, so these sales allow me to stock up on "new" reading for the winter months.

[MineralMan]

96. Yes. Library book sales are a wonderful resource.

My shelves are full, though. Perhaps they need thinning. When I do that, I'll donate the ones I remove to the local Friends of the Library and they'll put them in their annual sale, I'm sure.

Thanks for the reminder. I really need to make some space.

[H2O Man]

100. I have bookshelves

in all of the 17 rooms in this house. Anywhere from one to five, and they are all overflowing with books. I've given some to friends and family members over the years, but not enough to reduce the collection. A librarian friend attempted to organize them like in her place of employment, but never completed the task.

[malaise]

12. Lovely post

And yes we need to chill - our walk morning around the reservoir is delightful-no deer or foxes but lovely birds including pelicans diving for fish and others singing sweetly.

[H2O Man]

41. There's nothing like

the song of the birds in the morning. I didn't get to bed until around 6 am, and really enjoyed their song.

[malaise]

45. The combination of earaly morning fresh air and birds singing as we climb the small hill to the

reservoir is both refreshing and delightful

[hibbing]

13. Envious

Sounds like you have a lovely property and I would certainly enjoy the wildlife. I have to settle for my urban backyard which I have been enjoying a lot the last two weeks with a lot of wildflowers blooming and other flowers. I love watching the bumblebees. I got a big surprise yesterday when this huge Swallowtail butterfly flew in, magnificent.

I used to be an MSNBC addict, but I haven't watched it since the election.


Peace

[H2O Man]

47. Thanks.

Your post reminded me of when Rubin and I would talk on the phone, late at night, about our respective flower gardens. When he was incarcerated in NJ, the Canadians had snuck an onion in with some other food for him. He got dirt from the prison's yard, and watched in amazement as it grew, then flowered. This resulted in his love for gardening. I used to laugh, because he never bothered to learn various flowers' names .....he was just fascinated by their beauty.

A lady who lived in this house in the late 1940s through early '50s planted massive flower gardens, and lots of flowering shrubs, etc. I've added a lot of roses. My sons need only buy flowers for their lady friends in the winter. (grin)

[MLAA]

14. Soothing to hear about your and Kelly's great adventure. You write beautifully.

Maybe you and Kelly have a book in you 😉

[H2O Man]

48. Thank you!

Earlier in the week, my daughter followed Kelly and I around the trails and at that pond. Being young, she always has a cell phone/camera in hand, though I didn't know until that night that she was documenting our walk. She put four of the photos up on Facebook for me, which was nice.

About a year ago -- being old, retired, and not particularly bright, I lose track of time -- my computer "shit the bed," and I lost most of two related things I was writing for publication: a health study I conducted in a village poisoned by four toxic industrial waste dumps, and a book about the study, etc. I've been working on both again. My kids have shown me how to "back up" the work, in case this computer quits.

[coeur_de_lion]

98. Agreed H2O would make a great author

of spiritual books along the line of Thoreau.

Think about it H.

[democrank]

15. Love it, H20 Man....the pond, the deer, dragonflies, fire pit, the young buck.

It's uplifting to get away from the Trump madness and "sniff around" like your Kelly does. I was about to do that at 5:30 yesterday morning. Got to the second porch step, looked a few yards ahead of me, and saw a large black bear shuffling across the driveway. He paused, but kept on going. He returned late morning and tore the lid off the garbage can which was about ten feet from the porch steps. I tried to not be frightened, but my heart was certainly pounding!

With luck, next week will be highlighted by my bee balm patch finally blooming. An eight-foot circle of beauty for the hummingbirds and l, and hopefully the bees which have been rather scarce the last four years.

Found another robin's nest, more wild mallow and a beautiful tiny rock I gave to George, my friend with Downs Syndrome. He said he could tell it was a rock filled with love.

This land is your land, this land is my land

from California to the New York Island..........

~PEACE~

[shanti]

31. so sweet

what your friend George said about he rock!

[H2O Man]

49. Wow!

I've only seen a couple of bears in the wild. Each time, it made my heart beat increase rapidly. In the early 1980s, I lived at the dead end of a very rural dirt road, on a small farm. People used to steal gas out of the barn. It didn't bug me much, until someone left the barn doors open in the mid-winter, freezing all the pipes.

One night, my dogs were barking in an unusual way. I assumed it was people after gas. I called my brother-in-law (next farm over) and we went out in his truck. Came upon a medium-sized bear; it reared up on its hind legs, and suddenly looked large! Even though I was in the truck, my heart started racing.

Your friend is right about the rock. I collect local artifacts. Some people "get it," others wonder why I have a room full of rocks!(I tell them that the rocks dropped out of my head.)

[robertpaulsen]

16. Words of wisdom, H2O Man.

I just got back from doing some work on my lawn myself. It's a pretty cramped strip of land in LA suburbia, so I envy you spotting a young buck and playing with your dog. But I can definitely relate to the spiritual and mental value of taking time away from the persistent political soap opera of our time and getting back to the simple joy of nature. Your perspective is always a welcome one!

[H2O Man]

50. Thanks, Robert!

My kids accuse me of spoiling my two dogs. There might be a hint of truth to that.What I find funny is that neither one of them bothers the deer when they come up on the lawn. I've had deer trimming the rose bushes outside my windows, and the dogs just ignore them.

[Doug the Dem]

17. I'd phrase it a bit differently

The 'president' is an Orange Cocksucker. Stephen Colbert was right!



K&R for thread.

[H2O Man]

51. Very good!

Thank you!

[Fla Dem]

18. If you're not, you should be a writer I was totally enchanted by your tale

of the walk to the pond. You painted it so well I could mentally envision the entire setting.

[H2O Man]

53. Well, thank you!

In post #48, I mentioned my latest writing project. Over the decades, I've had articles published in archaeological and boxing magazines, and newspapers; edited (and wrote for) a Native American newspaper; a couple of "local history" books; and assisted friend Rubin Carter with two books -- one, a chapter in a book on forgiveness, and then his second autobiography, "Eye of the Hurricane." I did a lot of that for fun, kind of an outlet (I was a psychiatric social worker, which had its stresses!).

I've thought about two other books: one, a collection of 40+ years of letters and legal document's from Rubin and his case, and the other, a collection of environmental essays I've penned at my pond since retiring. Even as a hermit, I'd like to contribute something to society.

[oasis]

22. "take time to slow down and clear your mind". Great advice. K&R.

[H2O Man]

54. Thanks!

I find it beneficial.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. What a beautiful, calming post, my dear H20 Man...

It was lovely to read as I looked over your shoulder.

It felt like a vacation to me...

[H2O Man]

55. Thanks, Peggy!

If you two ever come out east for vacation, you'll have to stop here and see me. I'm a pretty fair cook out at the fire pit. (At least my dogs think so!)

[woofless]

24. Thanks for the good vibe pal!

[H2O Man]

56. Thank you!

I anticipate that the next two weeks are going to be intense, on the Trump-Russian scandal. I needed to rest up to prepare for it!

These are crazy times!

[peggysue2]

26. Nice!

Nice piece of writing, H20 Man. Good reminder that a respite from the madness is the best prescription to mellow out and reset anxiety-kinked neural pathways. Enjoyed the description. The 'Clockwork Orange' hat tip is a keeper.

Btw, Kelly's behavior made me smile. So reminiscent of my own puppies, that child-like joy of all things water and mud related. But always checking in periodically for a quick lick before they resume the frolic. Good times!

[H2O Man]

58. Thank you!

I used to have one dog, a large male German Shepherd. My daughters had a little mutt. Then my son came and asked if I could keep his dog for two weeks, while he moved? Of course I did, but should have asked which two weeks he meant. (It turned out to be nine years.)

Long story short: his dog dug through two fences, and the plywood in between, and a bit later, the girls' small dog gave birth to seven large puppies. I kept two brothers, Sam and Kelly, and they keep me busy. My children say that Sam and Kelly are my favorite kids. Both still act like a combination of children and tumbling clowns.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

27. Much wisdom in your post. ex.: "mosquito hawks": very cool term. . . . nt

[H2O Man]

60. I always liked that!

It is a perfect description of them.

[BigmanPigman]

28. What's a Clan Mother? I am assuming not KKK.

[H2O Man]

61. Yikes!

Quite the opposite, my Friend! In Haudenosaunee culture (Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy), each clan has two recognized leasders: a Chief, and a Clan Mother. This provides a balance that recognizes the equality -- though not exactness -- of the two sexes. The Clan Mother is usually among the oldest women in the clan; she selects the Chief, and has the power to "de-horn" (remove from office, swo to speak) a chief for good cause.

[Ligyron]

29. The things that truly matter...

[H2O Man]

62. Right!

Thank you.

[JoyBugaloo]

30. That was beautiful!

Absolutely superb!

[H2O Man]

63. Thank you!

Very much appreciated!

[shanti]

32. What a beautiful scene

you have described, H20 Man! You are a lucky man!

[H2O Man]

64. Thank you.

You are right -- I am lucky. I'm always thankful for what I have in life. And it's a good phase in an often strange existence here on earth!

[spanone]

42. it's a never ending roller-coaster.....

k&r....

[H2O Man]

65. That it is!

Forecast calling for some uncomfortable bumps in Trump's ride over the next two weeks, though. Strangest mess in DC that I've ever seen.

[kentuck]

44. Excellent!

[H2O Man]

66. Thanks, kentuck!

[kentuck]

87. +100

[H2O Man]

90. I'm looking forward

to the next two weeks in Washington. The tensions within the White House are going to provide us with some fascinating entertainment.

[NotASurfer]

46. Beautiful

Hope that the DUers who need it, take away something valuable here.

Sympathies on the mower repair. I'm pretty sure there's a rule that every simple repair that should take 30 minutes tops in principle, actually takes at least the rest of the day and a minimum 2 trips to the hardware store. Life is less stressful once you understand that.

[H2O Man]

68. Thanks!

"Mechanics" are among the many abilities I am totally lacking in. (And my father used to urge me to use "old fashioned" tools, rather than modern, electric ones!) Luckily, I know my limitations -- especially when they are right in front of me -- and I'll remember to ask for help when I go to the store tomorrow. If that doesn't work, I'll either asdk my neighbor (who runs a garage next door) or a good friend for help, knowing they will remind me not to attempt such things myself .....for when I do, those simple repairs do take them hours to correct.

[Guilded Lilly]

52. What a charming and sorely needed slice of the good life!

[H2O Man]

69. Thank you!

[bora13]

67. new color

on the Crayola color wheel.

Clockwork Orange

[H2O Man]

70. Ha!

Very good!

[AngryAmish]

71. I spent two of the last three weekends in the woods.

Northern Wisconsin, Northern Michigan.

I behave better when I get out in the woods. Put away the damn phone. And my boy got two bluegill that he thought was the best meal of his life. "Don't you want a bite, dad?". Took a small bite, left him to enjoy.

When are we going camping again?

[H2O Man]

72. Great!

There's nothing like camping. My kids all loved it when they were young, and most of them still do -- although as young adults, they don't have time often enough.

There's a creek with a beautiful water falls here. In the early 1800s, there was a cloth & carding "factory" there. US Senator Daniel Dickenson worked there as a teen. My kids have found a couple old grinding stones there, and I've found a few Indian artifacts. I taught my daughters how to catch trout from under the ledge of the falls, without a fishing pole. But they were strongly opposed to eating them! Their older brothers never were opposed to this!

[AngryAmish]

77. Bar none, a trout out of the river into the pan is the finest fish ever.

Salt, pepper, lemon.

I do not love fish as much as duck or pheasant. But trout river to pan! Better than any meal in a restaurant in my life.

[H2O Man]

79. I hear you!

A few years back, a male grouse flew through a glass window on my porch. We thought it sounded like a bullet. Upon inspection, we found the injured bird. My daughters ignored my tale of how good it would taste. We took care of it for four days, until it was ready to return to the pines.

[PatrickforO]

74. Indeed.

Trump has certainly kicked our Republic in the great bloody yarblockos. His bratchny droogs have met our statesmen and women with the chain, nozh or britva and everything good this nation has ever stood for is covered with grahzny krovvy.

Trump is bolshy bezoomny! All he does is tweet out a bunch of chepooka. Meantime ol' Putin and his ex-KGB millicents are splitting their sides smeck, smeck smeck.

[H2O Man]

75. Right.

When Bush2 was selected by the USSC for president, it was embarrassing for our country on the world stage. Trump's "victory" humiliates us. I remember thinking, on the night Nixon quit, that the US would never have such a scumbag for president again. Crazy.

[apkhgp]

78. Writing

Rarely, have I seen a piece of writing so eloquent in a portrayal of life in this country.

[H2O Man]

80. Well, thank you!

Very much appreciated!

[klook]

81. What a lovely reverie

Thank you so much for letting us enjoy this interlude. I found it very refreshing.

[H2O Man]

91. Thank you!

I'm glad that you liked it.

[coeur_de_lion]

82. Lovely Essay

A nice reminder to take a break from all the insanity and enjoy nature.

[H2O Man]

92. Right.

Mental vacations are a good thing. And nature is great.

I'm thinking of starting to excavate the old blacksmith's shop that is located a few yards away from where my daughter made the newest fire pit at the edge of the lawn. She'll be heading to Ireland in a couple of weeks, and that will give me something to do. I often do my best thinking while digging in the dirt.

[coeur_de_lion]

97. Digging in the dirt

is a great way to get back in touch with yourself. I'm afraid I leave all the gardening to my husband so I haven't had my fingers in the dirt for years now.

I do try to get out into the yard every morning and do a sort of open eyed meditation while I enjoy the sounds and sights of nature -- birds, squirrels and lizards scurrying around making little noises.

The sound of all the birds in the trees is so relaxing to me. Once in awhile when I'm sitting very still a bird will come very close to check me out.

Wish we had foxes though. Maybe when I move back home in (hopefully) a few months I'll see deer in the mornings like I used to.

[H2O Man]

99. Years ago, I tried

to teach Chloe that, if you sit very still with sunflower seeds on your shoulder, chickadees will land on you. She didn't have the patience at the time. They are her favorite birds, and she was too excited to sit still for long.

[coeur_de_lion]

105. Love that story

[BlancheSplanchnik]

85. 💚💙

Earth💚 Water💙



I had planned to go to Ganondagan sometime this weekend but I ended up being assigned to work Saturday and Sunday.

[H2O Man]

93. Thanks!

I haven't been there in years. I had wanted to in April, when my son and daughter and I were in Buffalo for the Golden Gloves finals, but we didn't have time. They wanted to visit the falls, and that was our only non-boxing activity. Does Peter still run Ganondagan? If you see him there, tell him I said hi.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

103. They've updated it

Built a whole new center near the original bldg, with an auditorium, collections in a room or two and a gift shop.

I don't know Peter

I'm still at work, wish I could have gone...there was a big event over the weekend.

[Nitram]

86. From the Cockney expression, "As useful as a clockwork orange."

[H2O Man]

94. For whom the bells

of St. Mary-le-Bow ring.

[Hortensis]

106. Delightful stroll, right up to the reminder of insanity...

Thank you for the view into your world, H2O Man.

[bellmartin]

101. Thank you! Our own day was a step more vicarious, but it also helped.

Yesterday, for the same reasons you took your idyll, my wife and I began reading Rascal, Sterling North’s memoir about the time when as a boy, he raised a baby raccoon. Like your walk, the book is filled with simple outdoor pleasures, in the semi-rural Wisconsin of a century ago. Refreshing and mind-freeing. It was a favorite book of my wife's in her childhood. At that time, I only saw the Disney movie, but it was enough to get my sister and me to spend an ill-advised hour as owners of our own raccoon (adolescents turn out to be not nearly as heartwarmingly cuddly as babies… sort of like people in that regard).

Like some of the other posters in this thread, our own outdoor life is often only in a backyard, but a pleasant one with a fair amount of small wildlife, normally including our two Border collies, Jenny and Molly. As my wife read her section aloud, I was down on the ground happily communing with both of the dogs. Later, we did have one break to reconnect with media, but only to watch our beloved Royals win a very satisfying game. And what timing… just after the game ended, a thunderstorm roared through, drenching both the stadium and our yard, breaking a heat wave in the process.

More Rascal today… and by a lovely coincidence, it’s an old hardcover copy, bought at a library book sale!

[Sensitive soul]

102. True

That. Namaste.

[Homer Wells]

104. Thank you for this lovely bit of musing

Reading that, I felt some of the tension I've been feeling ease considerably.