The dragonfly and the mouse
This critter was flying about the kitchen last night. This morning it was fluttering low by a window in the sunroom. Zoe seemingly chomped on it but, somehow, it survived intact. I put it on a table on the terrace outside. It was cold. I was curious to see how it would pass the day. I recall a bee from years ago that revived with the first warm rays. At 5 pm, it appeared dead. I blew on it. There was motion so I brought it inside to see what warmth might accomplish. It moved more but finally curled up in permanent sleep. There is a collection of dragonflies etc. in the downstairs bathroom, spawned from, shall I say, common origin....
The mouse was one of numerous. August was a busy month after the cats died. Beth said, on the phone, "don't forget the mouse". It was in one of two have-a-heart traps in the basement, this one on top of the frig. I did the usual...bring it upstairs with the dogs' breakfast where I would not forget to take it along. At DP time, the usual mouse comes for the ride to the outpost. Some, maybe numerous, of our mice have never even seen the out-of-doors. This one was small and afraid. I opened the trap in the usual place but it refused to join the strange world. So I left the trap on the usual beam, returning after DP. The poor thing was still there, fearful:-). I shook the trap, it landed paralyzed on the beam. I jump started it with a touch to the back. Off it went, I presume, in search of its family that had disappeared over the past 5-7 weeks, some 30 plus of them.
For the most part, all critters great & small, are worth a second thought, at least here. Homo sapiens is certainly a stupid fellow (war, greed, population explosion/env't destruction etc), nary worth the time of day. I have a book by the bed, a bible of sorts. It was written in the 50s: "Immense Journey" by the naturalist Loren Eiseley. After reading the first few pages, I seized upon it immediately. I have a link to Darwin's "Origin of Species" on my office web site. I've read much of it. Such perspective leads to behavior that many might consider silly. So be it. Much of what's news of us is, at the very least, absurd.
9/30/09...
I was in my office this pm with a Bear Brook map in hand. UNO has a Russian mapper coming 10/13 to begin a mapping project there. I was perusing new basemap jpg's with the old BB in hand. I've seen alot of this particular map in the past year but paused to read some comments about "pretty autumn leaves" as well as handwritten race analysis & noted the date, Sept 30, 1979, 30 years ago today! Winner was PG in 95+, Steve Tarry 125', Lux 132', Sharon Crawford 213', Jim Arsenault dnf. Also an immense journey measured by a much different clock.