The Walrus and the Carpenter

Lewis Carroll wrote The Walrus and the Carpenter, a story poem that on first glance doesn't make a lot of sense, but you get the idea there's more meaning than first appears.


The story goes that a Walrus and a Carpenter are walking down a beach.  They cry over many things, including  an inability to control their own appetites for oysters.


They also weep because they see such quantities of sand.  (Maybe they don't accept nature as it is?)


These lines have been running through my mind today:


...They wept like anything to see such quantities of sand.
If this were only cleared away, they said, it would be grand.
If seven maids with seven mops swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose, the Walrus said, that they could get it clear?...


Let's ponder on that for a while.

A Hummingbird at Balmorhea

Our friend Feldman photographed this hummingbird sitting on her nest at Balmorhea State Park in West Texas.  Quite a beautiful picture, I think.

I've posted another picture of the hummingbird on my other blog, silverlamps.blogspot.com.   There I've also written a down a few more thoughts about the bird.

Ebenezer the Donkey

Ebenezer has been a resident of our town for many years, but recently he has become something of a celebrity.  He had developed some health problems; his teeth were in poor condition and he could no longer graze.  Also he suffered from a painful hoof condition.


Then a resident sent Ebenezer's story to The Kansas City Star.  After the story appeared, people began sending money to cover the donkey's veterinary bills, and beyond that, to build a better shed for Ebenezer.


Herb and I went to visit Ebenezer recently.  He loves company and appreciates being stroked.  If he really takes a liking to you, he will nudge you with his head.  He seems comfortable now; he is on a diet of Purina equine food for "seniors." 

Snatam Kaur Concert in Boulder

The event was everything I expected and more.  This past weekend, Snatam Kaur, Guruganesha Singh, and Ramesh Kannan performed Sikh chants in Boulder, Colorado, to an enthusiastic audience.  These people have dedicated their lives to promoting peace through music.  Although the music is soothing--really a massage for the soul--it is also powerful and energizing.  To hear a sampling, go to snatamkaur.com

A Car from the Past

This is our 1969 Oldsmobile Cutlass, the first air-conditioned car we owned.  It was pale green with a darker vinyl top.  In the photo, it is parked near a gravel lake in the Florida Panhandle; we had driven it to visit my brother and his family.  The car is long gone now, but I remember it as a nice car.