The Pond After Dark

I think I'll do this when I work midnights and evenings. The only problem is sneaking up to the pond. I don't sneak very well, and on the really dark nights I fall in holes and run into things. That's actually part of the adventure - How inept can I be and still make it unscathed? Tonight I made enough noise that a herd of turtles could have escaped before I got on top of the berm but I did catch herd of slow (or maybe defiant) orbs. I like the way the reeds are falling on the East bank.

Friday, finally

Clear and cold. I'm too tired to be bright, or even very perceptive but if I squint the big picture looks okay.

Interesting Day

I was incorrect about something last night. Buddy has taught Kilo to argue, not complain. She is too sure of herself to stoop to complaining.




Once again, a beautiful sky, and 70 degrees with a mild wind.

Mid-Winter Light Deprivation Blues?

Probably not. There hasn't been a cloud in the sky during the daytime for the past three months. Sun shine every day, all day long. I was trying to think of what to write next and had a rep-play of a scene from Texasville. Karla is on the bed going through Duane's high school annual while he brushes his teeth and she says "Well she didn't love you forever, did she Duane." Somewhere in his answer he replies (or implies, or maybe I'm just making it up) that it is difficult to be lovable, or even interesting, for a whole lifetime. That just the thought of trying made him tired. That's all true, and the same goes for the things that we become interested in. Our attention takes as great a toll on the objects of our attention, as our paying attention takes on us. We find people, places or things that are wonderful, then wear ourselves and them, or that, or those out. (Except for this sky, and the infinity of light and color combinations that are this landscape. They fascinate me more every day, and I do wear out a lot of words and phrases attempting to describe them.) I still love the pond and will give it attention, but the initial inescapable attraction is becoming escapable. A modified night sky through elm branches picture is today's final comment on that subject.

I've never really talked very much or made a lot of noise, and even though Kilo came to live with me, that hasn't changed much. We do talk some, but we've had a pretty much quiet existence until Buddy showed up. He is loud and never shuts up if he wants his way about something. I can actually hear him barking when I am at the far end of the walking path a few miles away from here. He has recently taught her to complain, or at least showed her that complaining works and I'm getting it right now because she wants to go to the backyard and fight over a frisbee. It's 30 degrees and I don't want to. I guess the point is that I just gave her a lecture, out loud, and now I feel bad for calling her spoiled and selfish. Not really. I just explained that I'm busy and it's cold outside, but she can go and play if she wants. She went to bed instead.

The third picture is of the first people to ever jump into the pond on the first day that we filled it. They are my niece and her daughter, and if they hadn't done it, the rest of us probably never would have. We are almost too shy to attempt things that might be intrusive, on anyone or anything else. Even with that great start we actually only swam in the pond for the first couple of weeks. When we saw that animals were starting to live there we quit because it seemed rude to bother them. Well, that part was noble, but now I'm bored yet obligated. Both sides have lost that initial shine.

Cold Tuesday

Cold again. And the wind is relentless. I almost don't want to work the evening shift on days like this because of the fire danger. Fire Department personnel are all volunteers and they tend to stray off to other places in the afternoon. Tomorrow is should be in the 70's again and I'll turn the pond on then. There are two cats now living in Bill's shop but I'm not going to tell him. Maybe they will get the gophers.

Sky

The most interesting part of the Winter view is the colorful, changing sky.

It's a Holiday

Very cold this morning. The sky was clear until noon but now clouds are moving in from the NW, and the wind is constant.

And More

Aerial photo of Ranger Lake.

More of Ranger Lake

Here is a web-page mentioning the Ghost Town, and a few more pictures.

Short Road Trip

An old friend called this morning and wanted to go investigate a place about 8 miles NE of here. It is called Ranger Lake, and is an alkaline (very small) lake bed of sorts, but has never had water in my life-time. When my Step-father and his family moved here in 1907, there were two old buffalo hunters living in dug-outs on one edge of the basin, and after that there was a small community and post office there for a while. I know this because a local newspaper had a story in 1920 or 21 about a man who was found murdered in his dug-out not long after being seen at the Ranger Lake post office. There was probably even water in the basin in the early 1900's because my Aunt mentioned that when they crossed the plains in wagons (from West Texas), a lot of the playas that were strung along the ancient river courses had water in them. The water table at that time had enough volume that it would often purch through the surface in some of the deeper depressions. Anyway, for most of the 50's and 60's the SW edge of the basin was a dump site for the town where I live. Even when I was a kid I wondered why anyone would choose the nicest looking piece of land for hundreds of miles as the best place to dump their trash and garbage. The dump was closed in the early 70's but it looks like someone is kind of cleaning it up now. At least they are moving the piles around. I've been on a thousand hikes out here, and during my late teens, to a thousand parties on this very spot (during the psychedelic years some of them lasted for weeks). At this very moment I sense, and can selectively review, decades of memories with a similar sky. Interesting adventure.

"Later, That Same Evening"

I love that song but it has nothing to do with ponds. The moon is very nice, and there are some excellent clouds crossing it.

Saturday Night

Overcast and cool for most of the day. Or probably. I didn't notice the outside from work but the inside felt like it might be cool and overcast on the outside. It was fairly nice when I got in a while ago. I took these pictures as I left for work.

I hate gophers but they seem invincible.

Almost Midnight

Beautiful night. The full moon has an enormous ring around it (thin ring, huge radius) and the night is clear and cool. I tried to get the moon, then its reflection in the pond, but this camera won't go there (as good as it is).