On the Way to Tangier Island Memorial Day weekend

Tangier Island, Memorial Day weekend

Tangier Island, Memorial Day weekend 2

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monday

isabel

Isabel

one thing that happened on sunday

Is it possible that I have Christ-like powers? Probably not, but for a brief period on Sunday, it seemed as though I might. What happened was this : I had taken Steve out for a walk and as we were nearing the house on our way back, he paused to smell something and I looked at the ground at my feet and something caught my eye (and dragged it 15 feet. i used to love that line. i guess i still do) and I bent down to get a better look. It was some sort of beetle and it was interesting because it looked as though it was made of wood...sort of Danish Modern beetle. I picked up a twig and prodded it and nothing happened. I turned it over with aforementioned twig to see that it's arms and legs were folded up--dead. Dead Danish Modern beetle. So of course I picked it up and brought it home with me with the idea of photographing it and possibly making a shrine to Hans Wegner. I brought it into the study to my desk and sat it on the base of my flat screen monitor where I often put small tcotchkes. I went about my business for a while and then came back to the computer to read the Times online. Bing Crosby cat hopped up on the desk to keep me company and was immediately certain that it belonged to him. He smelled it thoroughly and then batted it with his paw. I asked him to move along and returned DM beetle to its former position. I returned to reading the "paper" and became aware at some point that something fell off the pedestal but I didn't pay any attention as I was engrossed in an article about how it's apparently NOT blasphemy to serve red wine chilled, though one should choose the red wisely, as you might imagine. Shaking me out of this flurry of thoughts about new and fun ways to enjoy alcohol was the sound of flipping and scratching and flapping. I looked down to see this Danish Modern beetle was actually a Lazarus Beetle, come back to life, his legs pumping and flailing in the air. I scooted my chair away from the desk rapidly, startled and amazed. I ran into the kitchen and got an 8 ounce plastic container that I moved him into with the help of a subscription card from Bike magazine. I grabbed my camera and took him out onto the side porch, excited and a little bit scared. At that point he had begun flapping about and trying to fly so it was hard to get a good photograph because every time it popped and flapped up and down it would startle me and I would let out a girly scream like Nathan Lane in "Birdcage." So in the end I got crappy photos of my Danish Modern beetle but he lived to be elegant for another day as I sat him free.

this morning

So I'm on my way to work this morning, came off Brook onto Lombardy by VUU, got to the roundabout thingie and paused, those things always make me pause whether I need to or not, and there's a Camry wagon on my left and I couldn't tell if he was going to turn right or come into the circle, so with a hop I jumped into the circle, in front of him basically, but there was plenty of room (really!) and all went smoothly except that he blew his horn at me. I ignored him, didn't give my usual mouthed "sorry," and proceeded forward toward the traffic light, which was red. I got into the lane to turn left, and see him in my rear mirror coming up and around me. He gets to the intersection, where the Light is Still Red, and turns right Without Stopping. Had there not been a car in front of me I would have blown my horn. I don't think there's a moral here. Also, he didn't use his turn signal.

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