Monday Musings.

My, oh, my.  It's a different world we live in.  I remember a tall, grave (but kindly) bear sporting a park ranger's hat telling me that only I could prevent forest fires.  Now he's all attitude and telling me to Get My Smoky On.  Just what the heck is "my smoky"?  Makes me either want to pull out my paisley velour smoking jacket and light up, or look for leather. 

"As the crow flies."  Do crows fly straighter than other birds?  There is a spot during my commute where I crest the plateau and I can see the city.  If I was a crow, it would be a much shorter commute.  But, then, why would I fly to the city?  The country is much nicer, especially for crows.  And on the subject of birds, this fall there seems to be a bumper crop of Mourning Doves over-nighting in the pines next to the goat barn.  They are so fidgety and easily frightened (sort of like lots of feathered Bernies), that I find myself tiptoeing under the pines on my way to feed the goats, making all kinds of reassuring noises so that they know I am not going to harm them.  Nothing worked until I started singing to them.  They seem to prefer Joni Mitchell.  (Does that make me certifiable?)  I think I am making progress!  Last night there was only some minor cooing and fluttering.   I am very fond of Mourning Doves.  They remind me of fragile bits of Southwestern Indian pottery.

Since a lot of my musing occurs while I commute, we are back on the road.  I realized that, when I come to a bend in the road (and, believe me, there is not a straight bit of road for miles around me!), I tend to accelerate into the turn.  Just a bit.  Not, of course, if it's raining, sleeting, snowing or anything inclement (just in case there is a Driving Instructor reading this with his marking pencil ready to give me demerits...)  This is a habit I picked up from a fellow I used to work for back in the Dark Ages of Advertising in Cleveland.  He had been a professional race car driver in his youth.  We had a client about 50 miles south of Cleveland that we met with on a regular basis and on the way to their offices we passed a race track (not an official one - one with miniature race cars).  On our way back to Cleveland, we would stop at the track and race.  He was extremely competitive and I am no slouch in that department, either.  However, he was better (and my boss....).  I only beat him once and he didn't talk to me for a week.  It was hard, but I let him win from then on.  : /  In another chapter of the DAoAiC,  the ad agency I worked for decided to try some bonding exercises to mend the inevitable rift between the creative and the 'client' sides of the business.  They came up with some odd hybrid of volleyball and slam dancing (my interpretation, but it was played in a room with padding on the walls).  Well, let me tell you, everyone on BOTH sides wanted me on their team.  I was fiercesome!  I made up for lack of size with lots of "attitude".  Besides, I could jump and spike like nobody's business.  I have since calmed down.  Really.  That and a couple of rotator cuff operations.  And I'd need help getting up.  Anyone seen my cane????