Magpie Tales #67

Banquet Scene with a Lute Player

by Nicolas Tournier, 1625

There was a young man from France

Who went to a banquet by chance

He said as he peered

Through a glass- "This is weird...

The lutist is wearing no pants."

~~~~~~~

blog prompt provided by Tess Kincaid of Magpie Tales

for more takes on this go here:

http://magpietales.blogspot.com/

Sweet Little Stellar's Jay

Sweet little bird

Popping up learning to fly

Show us your tail

This darling sweet baby Stellar's Jay

is our backyard's newest addition...

it's sibling didn't evade the neighbors cat

but our neighbors are keeping the cat inside for awhile...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steller%27s_Jay

There goes the neighborhood.........

A conversation was over heard

The neighbors were being quite absurd

They said this guy didn't belong here

He really does act rather queer...

He's always thinking of other stuff

Like Vitamin C -it's really rough

To have a lively conversation

While he's six feet deep in cogitation

Photo by Eric Alder

If he could he'd be experimenting

With chemistry and molecular biology

When all we want is a lively chat

While playing cards -just this and that.

We really are quite tired of Linus

His Nobel Peace Prize and his shyness

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

for more info go here:
http://kathewsnapaday.blogspot.com/2011/01/photo-11.html

go here for more of Eric Alder's Monday Photo Prompts:

http://bifocalunivision.blogspot.com/

and here for Jingle Poetry Potluck:

http://jinglepoetry.blogspot.com/

The Joy of Reading

Swiss Family Robinson,
Secret Garden,
Little Princess,
Tom Sawyer,
Little Women,
Huck Finn,
and Nancy Drew
they were just the beginning
to my love of books and hours
blissfully reading under the covers
with a flashlight until caught.
Just one more chapter......
please Mom?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We didn't have a TV in our house until I was 10.

We weren't missing anything as our parents had

a room we called the library as it had shelves and shelves

of books for us to read. The only reason they got a TV

was because Queen Elizabeth was being crowned

and that was an important event that we should not miss!

To this day all of us are still voracious readers as are

all of our children. Our parents gave us such a gift;

the joy of reading. We were very lucky.

Off with their heads!

Unlike St. Francis of Assisi there are few saints in government.
Our city is being run by the mayor as if it his personal fiefdom
and we are only tolerated because he can pick our pockets
when he needs some spare cash for frivolous and expensive
legacy making projects.
The final straw for me was last weeks attempt to bring a lot
of our beloved Luscher Farm into the Urban Growth Boundary
opening up all that gorgeous farm land for more development.
It's all about the money, instead of leaving green open
spaces alone. It's not about restoration of wildlife habitats
or bringing back Oak savannahs. Oh no- it's all about
more ballfields,indoor tennis courts and community centers
that the majority who live here do not want, nor can afford.
What we do want is some land preserved for the generations
that will follow us. My mother always told me to choose
my battles....well- this is my battle.
Thanks for giving me this opportunity to rant!
Below are my comments given to City Council last Tuesday night:

"I would like to comment on this last minute item on the agenda item #8.3:
Bringing a lot of Luscher Farm into the UGB.
I am against bringing large portions of Luscher Farm
into the UGB because it runs contrary to what the majority
of citizens want: We want it left agricultural and rural.
This is an enormous change and we the people
should have a say in this change-like a vote please.
Here we are in the middle of the Luscher Farm Master Plan
process complete with public participation and input.
What the heck? Where’s the public input and participation
in this process? What’s the rush? This is beyond offensive.
We love our farm- our emerald gem of a farm.
We love the healthy lifestyle it generates for all ages.
We want it to be preserved for our children’s future.
We don’t want a tacky tourist destination
or sappy wedding destination. It’s a farm!
Go use Foothills Park and Millenium Park for your revenue generation.
Luscher farm is our outdoor space, our living room,
our schoolroom, and our place of peace and tranquility-
it isn’t parking spaces and traffic. Leave Luscher farm alone.

photo by Kathe Worsley
Above photo is of recent damage to property adjacent
to Luscher Farm. The city ignored Fish and Wildlife's
Best Management Practices by bulldozing wildlife
habitat before June 15th and using heavy equipment
through wetlands and stream beds.

photo by Kathe Worsley

This photo is of the damage done to an old tree
by backing a bulldozer into it. Nice work by
non-supervised contract workers.
( I am being sarcastic )
for more info go here: http://lostewards.org/

photo of St Francis thanks to

Tess Kincaid of Magpie Tales http://magpietales.blogspot.com/

When times are tough..........

Photo by Eric Alder of Bifocal Univision http://bifocalunivision.blogspot.com/

You cannot make a wish
When times are tough
and you stand at the edge
with no where to go but down
just turn 180 degrees
and walk forward

Image courtesy of Tess Kincaid of Magpie Tales
http://magpietales.blogspot.com/

A few weeks ago we watched

a documentary film entitled 180° South.
We were enthralled and inspired by the tenacity, strength of character
and quiet life philosophy of these people profiled in the film.
I still think about this film- hence this simple homage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_Degrees_South:_Conquerors_of_the_Useless/

If you........

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you live in Oregon.
If you've worn shorts, sandals and a parka at the same time, you live in Oregon.
If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed the wrong number, you live in Oregon.
If you measure distance in hours, you live in Oregon.
If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you live in Oregon.
If you have switched from 'heat' to 'A/C' and back again in the same day, you live in Oregon.
If you install security lights on your house and garage but leave both doors unlocked, you live in Oregon.
If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you live in Central, Southern or Eastern Oregon.
If you design your kid's Halloween costume to fit over a 2 layers of clothes or under a raincoat, you live in Oregon.
If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow and ice, you live in Oregon.
If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction, you live in Oregon.
If you feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash, you live in Oregon.
If you know more than 10 ways to order coffee, you live in Oregon.
If you know more people who own boats than air conditioners, you live in Oregon. If you stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "Walk" signal, you live in Oregon.
If you consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it is not a real mountain, you live in Oregon.
If you can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Dutch Bros, you live in Oregon.
If you know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon, you live in Oregon.
If you know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Clatskanie, Issaquah, Oregon, Umpqua, Yakima and Willamette, you live in Oregon.
If you consider swimming an indoor sport, you live in Oregon.
If you know that Boring is a city and not just a feeling, you live in Oregon.
If you can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food, you live in Oregon.
If you never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho, you live in Oregon.
If you have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain, you live in Oregon.
If you think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists, you live in Oregon.
If you can tell the difference between IPA's,Stouts,Pale Ales,Porters and PBR you live in Oregon.
If you buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time, you live in Oregon.
If you actually understand these jokes you live or have lived in Oregon