Ozark walk
May 31, 2006
After a few days of walking a wimpy mile or so, back and forth along the Monarch Cove seawall promenade, the sun relented a bit and yesterday morning I took off up Greenleaf Spur to Wilmar and its intersection with Duckhead Road, to see what has changed.
Since my late-winter walk, the trees are now in full leaf, of course, and we’re well into front yard Petunia time. A less welcome change was the sprouting of a Handi-Jon and two new houses under construction on Duckhead. The area continues to “grow.” Homes back from the water would seem to be a real bargain, nestling in amongst the tall Oaks. Some have a distant view of the lake, but who needs it? I’d rather gaze at the Oaks than listen to water being whipped up by buzzing Waverunners.
On I amble down Duckhead, and as I turn right onto Deepwater Drive I notice a tall new flagpole poking up from the duck’s head. On top was a huge stars and stripes, and below it a banner with a duck’s head. There may be a new resort at the end of the private drive leading to Duckhead Point.
It’s an overcast morning, with just a sprinkling hint of rain, about 75 degrees cool. There is a nice breeze from the south that provides a welcome respite from the glaring weekend sun. I move right along with what for me is a brisk stride, taking periodic note of how my back and hips are behaving. One can’t be too presumptive these days. But for now, on this 30th day of May in the year 2006 at age 74-and-counting, my legs are still answering the call.
At the end of the Deepwater Drive loop, back on Duckhead, is my breathing test as the road climbs steeply back to the ridgeline. I am happy to report that I am still breathing, and pretty well at that.
Dave, which he was really huffing and puffing just a little. Don’t tell.
Cow’s thumb
May 30, 2006
If you happen to see a copy of A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, Capt. Francis Grose, 1796, in a used bookstore, grab it. According to my Forgotten English Calendar, Grose (1731-1791) was an English antiquarian, classically trained painter, and collector of unusual words and phrases, sounding like an all-around interesting guy. “His wickedly amusing dictionary encompassing English dialect, rogue’s cant, and street slang has become a classic reference.” I’m guessing that the dialog in Patrick O’Brian’s sea novels may be salted with phrases from that dictionary.
Wonder how Grose came across his words? He started out at midnight from the King’s Arms in search of adventure, exploring places like the back slums of St. Giles, making himself as affable and jolly as the rest of the motley crew among beggars, cadgers, thieves who at that time infested that district. All in the interest of research, of course.
Oh, yes. Cow’s thumb: Done to a cow’s thumb, done exactly. Remember this as you attend to your outdoor grill this summer.
Dave, wishing he had a better ear for colorful expressions but not eager to do the research.
Morning fishing
May 29, 2006
Fishing at the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri is a real joy, even when the bass are laid back and not biting. I never know what I will run across. This morning I lowered the boat into the water just as the sun was poking up over the oak trees that line the shoreline. The water was like glass, and it was too early for the water skiers and waverunners to be out.
As I silently boated past the front of some boat docks lining a sleepy little cove not too far away, I was startled by a loud splash. Looking back I saw a black labrador retriever dog-paddling (what else?) toward me. I thought for a moment that he was going to join me in the boat, but he was just out for his morning swim and looking for company. I became a little concerned that he would catch his trailing tail in the trolling motor prop, so I turned it off when he got too close. He tried to bark at me but got water in his nose and thought better of it. After a few minutes he peeled off and headed back toward his home dock. I gave him a companiable wave and turned my attention back to fishing.
After a while I noticed that I had company again; this time it was a trio of longnose “Billy Gar” about three feet long and swimming just below the surface of the emerald clear water. They were swimming fin to fin in close triangle formation. Like dolphins, they were diving under the boat and surfacing on the other side, always maintaining formation. It’s their spawning season, and the female gar had attracted a pair of eager wingmen. Why didn’t I bring my camera?
Then, as I moved my boat in toward the shore to cast my worm up against the bank, I spotted a large Blue Heron looking for his breakfast. The Herons are a common sight around here, usually being seen skimming the wavetops as the fly across a cove, barking Heron indignations as their huge wings flap away. I often see them fishing for their breakfast around boat docks, an interesting process indeed. Little Bluegill, not the smartest of fish, cruise the shallows and are literally stalked by Blue Heron, who stand motionless on spindly legs in shallow water near the shore, neck stretched way out, patiently watching the water. When breakfast swims within range, the long beak darts down and comes up with the hapless Bluegill caught crossways at the tip of the heron’s beak.
What to do, Mr. Heron says? “If I open my beak I lose my breakfast. How do I get the fish heading down into my gullet?”
Not to worry. Like a magician, Mr. Heron twitches his beak and like a flash the fish is inside the long neck heading southward. I know, because I can see a wiggling lump in his neck working its way down. How does he do that?
And the fishing? Possibly because I had too many diversions, the fishing was slow. But it wasn’t boring.
Dave, doing a lot of fishing but not much catching.
Ephesians 5:15-21
May 27, 2006
Live Wisely
5:15 Therefore be very careful how you live–not as unwise but as wise, 5:16 taking advantage of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 5:17 For this reason do not be foolish, but be wise by understanding what the will of the Lord is. 5:18 And do not get drunk with wine, which is debauchery, but be filled by the Spirit, 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord, 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for each other in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5:21 and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
One thing’s for sure, I try a lot harder to live wisely now that I know that I’m not immortal. Thirty, forty, fifty years ago I knew that I wouldn’t live forever, but I sure did live like I didn’t know it. Paul says that when we live in evil times, which we still do, we should reflect on what the will of the Lord is for his children. And how can we know this? Simply by reading the Bible. It’s impossible to read the book of Judges, for instance, without getting a clear idea of what God wants for his people. Then sneak a peek at the back of the book and read Revelation.
There is a word for the church here, too. How well do we submit to one another out of reverence for Christ? -sdg-
Spring walk
May 25, 2006
Those old side by side Sycamores fake me out every spring. Only a few days ago, they were shedding their fan-size leaves left and right, and their limbs had a bad case of eczema. Then came yesterday’s wind and rain, and the ground and sidewalk along which I shuffle were plastered with those tired-looking leaves. I shook my head and passed on by, wondering if they were seeing their last spring and soon would no longer be shading the walk along Madison Park.
Hah! It happened again. I can almost hear them saying, “Look! Here he comes again. Let’s see how sickly we can look.”
“Oh, come on. He won’t fall for it again, will he? The way he shuffles along, we’re a cinch to outlast him.”
“Well, I bet his memory ain’t getting any better. Let’s try it. Wave your arms and shake them.” (The winds blow, the limbs shake and the leaves flutter down.)
You guessed it: This sunny morning the limbs of those old trees were covered, covered, with brand new leaves. This is absolutely the last time I’ll be fooled. I can hear a snickering from about 60 feet up. I’ll ignore it.
What a morning for a walk! the air was scrubbed clean by yesterday’s storm. It’s pushing 80 degrees in spite of a north wind. The Peonies are hanging their heads in the sunshine and scattering petals all over the place - can’t even smell them any more after weeks of the air reeking of cheap perfume. They have passed the torch to the Tiger Lilies and Roses. I won’t be long until the climbers will be in full bloom.
As I walked south on 22nd street, I found my way blocked by a card table on the sidewalk. Sitting behind it was a young lady selling cinnamon rolls for a dollar. Had I a dollar on me I certainly would have been a customer. I’ve seen a lot of lemonade stands along that broad, tree-lined street, but never a cinnamon roll stand. I said I hoped business would be good and walked on.
On the way back, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The young entrepreneur’s mother and a couple of friends were moving the table with her wares out into the middle of the street. They said that traffic had not been stopping and thought a new location might help. I didn’t linger to find out whether the mother would let the girls sit out in the middle of the street. Maybe mothers aren’t as protective as they used to be. Or not as smart.
Anyway, it was a good morning for a long (for me, these days,) walk. The back and hips didn’t protest very much, but it would have taken a heap more protesting to get my attention on this fine morning.
Dave, still movin’ right along.
Puero y Asociados
May 23, 2006
Let me introduce you to Kiva and the world of microfinance in the developing world. It is the story of Matthew and Jessica Flannery who are true believers in the power of small business development to change the lives of the poor.
The Flannerys claim that half the world’s population live on less than $2 a day. Most of these people live in developing countries and are self-employed. Microfinance provides financial services to those excluded from the formal financial system and team with microcredit/microloan programs to effectively boost the income-producing capabilities of small businesses run by the self-employed poor.
Now let me introduce you to Boris Puero Candela, proprietor of Puero Y Asociados in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Boris’s small business repairs computers and helps his clients connect to the Internet. He is seeking a $1,200 loan to add an employee and expand his business. Through Kiva and their microfinance partner MIFEX, $850 has been raised from online investors, including myself. The other day I sent along $100 to help make up the loan, which is to be repaid over 12-16 months. I hope to receive progress reports when the loan is granted, and I’ll pass along what I learn.
Dave, hoping this is all that it appears to be.
The “Presbyterians” Code
May 22, 2006
Kruse Kronicle: The “Presbyterians” Code
More disconcerting for me today was to learn that “Presbyterians” is really code in the form of an anagram. Rearranged it spells “Britney Spears!” Hmmmm… What are we to make of this???
Sorry.
Dave, hanging his head.
Ephesians 5:6-14
May 21, 2006
Live in the Light
5:6 Let nobody deceive you with empty words, for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience.95:7 Therefore do not be partakers with them, 5:8 for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light– 5:9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth– 5:10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 5:11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 5:12 For the things they do in secret are shameful even to mention. 5:13 But all things being exposed by the light are made evident. 5:14 For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says:
“Awake, O sleeper!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you!”
I find it very hard to keep from compartmentalizing my life, with my faith in God relegated to a spiritual realm, leaving everyday life for the realm of practical things. That doesn’t feel right, and Paul here gives some godly advice. Living in the light of the gospel means a seamless existence with no lines drawn between life in the spirit and life on the ground.
I am to live in the light of Truth, as revealed in the Bible and confirmed in my inner being by the Holy Spirit. This leads to the life of integrity that I crave. The natural result of living in this light, the fruit of the life, is pretty obvious, when I think about it. “… all goodness, righteousness, and truth.”
Paul’s theme is delightfully capsulized in the closing composite quotation from the book of Isaiah, a good one to paste on my shaving mirror. -sdg-
From :-) to :-(
May 20, 2006
I comes as no surprise that AOL’s time has come and gone. Whatever reason there was to pay AOL a premium to see their ads and organize your online experience is clearly no longer compelling, if it ever was. It’s just too easy to get broadband Internet access and do your own thing.
Time Warner and AOL | From 
to 
| Economist.com
Once the darling of the internet, AOL is struggling to remain relevant
Although AOL is having some success in attracting people to its content, the unit is not making good enough use of its parent’s wide array of brands. People in Time Warner’s other divisions complain that AOL develops new sites on its own and ignores them: AOL Sports, for instance, makes no use of the powerful Sports Illustrated brand, and its new celebrity site, TMZ.com, does not use material from Time Inc’s People magazine and websites. Time Warner’s divisions are mostly developing digital strategies independently of AOL.
I wonder if maybe Yahoo! will be next, although they still seem to be riding pretty high.
Dave, fascinated by the ever-changing Net scene.
The Last Well Person
May 19, 2006
I’m reading a book that is going to get me in all sorts of trouble with my doctors. It’s The Last Well Person: How to Stay Well Despite the Health-Care System by Dr. Nortin Hadler, Professor of Medicine and Microbiology/Immunology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He says we are being presented an image of the “baby boom” generation living forever. “Fear not,” he says, “The death rate is one per person. The only uncertainties in that regard are when, how it will happen, and what the journey was like.”
He says there seems to be “a fixed longevity for our species, set around eighty-five years of age. …anything beyond is a bonus and even a statistical oddity.” He takes a very dim view of what medicine can do to alter that fact. He also has little good to say about some of the current hot medical interventions. Near the beginning of the book, he says:
I, for one, do not care how many diseases I harbour on my eighty-fifth birthday, though I prefer not to know that they are creeping up on me. Neither do I care which of these diseases carries me off, as long as the leaving is gentle and the epilogue meaningful. Perhaps the best we can reasonably hope for is eighty or so years of life free of morbidities that overwhelm our wherewithal to cope, and to die in our sleep on our eighty-fifth birthday. …When high-functioning octogenarians decline, it is because their time is approaching. When death supervenes, it is because it is their time. That is the real proximate cause of death. It does not matter how many diseases are vying for the coup de grace - only that the journey was as gratifying as possible.
Now, that makes a heap of sense to me.
Part One of the book is titled THE METHUSELAH COMPLEX, with chapter titles like “Interventional Cardiology and Kindred Delusions.” Part Two is WORRIED SICK, including chapters titled “Medicalization of the ‘Worried Well,’ and “Turning Aging into a Disease. ”
As I read through this little black book, you can probably expect a few wierd articles in the Orlop over the next few weeks.
Dave, who doesn’t know what’s creeping up on him but has no doubt about the epilogue.
