Today I took another walk in Forest Park. Instead of Leif Erickson this time I went four miles on the Wildwood Trail -- which pretty much parallels L.E. -- but is an actual trail rather than a closed road. The Wildwood has more ups and downs than L. E. so is a bit more rigorous, but scenically they're much the same.
Fairly early in the walk I passed two older women and their (leashed, surprisingly enough) dogs. Some time later I went up a side trail (yes, to take a whiz) and when I returned to the main trail they had caught up and I startled them (the two trails converged at a blind corner). "Oh! You surprised us! We thought you were a bear!" -- with hands to hearts -- "Oh, dear" I said. "It's a good thing I'm not." And the three of us chuckled at the repartee and the dogs were happier than anything.
Now it can be noted that I use crutches when I walk so it might be said that I'm a quadruped, but I think the visual is definitely bi-pedal. My hair and beard are definitely white and I was wearing a purple t-shirt. However their mistake was one anyone could have made.
I never saw a purple bear,
And hope that there can't be one.
But if there is a purple bear,
I'd rather see than be one.
With a nod to Gelett Burgess (purple cow writer)
Books: I finished "The Ghosts of Cannae" (Robert L. O'Connell) It's about Hannibal slaughtering Romans until he met his Scipio. It is a good read but be prepared --- butchery abounds. And I'm half way through "Nothing To Be Frightened Of" (Julian Barnes). It's Barnes' thoughts on religion, faith, art and mostly death. A very good read. A year or so ago I read his book "Flaubert's Parrot" which didn't do much for me. It was good enough that I finished reading it but I remember very little about it. This book is much more appealing to me. I might even return to it at a later date. DA
Fairly early in the walk I passed two older women and their (leashed, surprisingly enough) dogs. Some time later I went up a side trail (yes, to take a whiz) and when I returned to the main trail they had caught up and I startled them (the two trails converged at a blind corner). "Oh! You surprised us! We thought you were a bear!" -- with hands to hearts -- "Oh, dear" I said. "It's a good thing I'm not." And the three of us chuckled at the repartee and the dogs were happier than anything.
Now it can be noted that I use crutches when I walk so it might be said that I'm a quadruped, but I think the visual is definitely bi-pedal. My hair and beard are definitely white and I was wearing a purple t-shirt. However their mistake was one anyone could have made.
I never saw a purple bear,
And hope that there can't be one.
But if there is a purple bear,
I'd rather see than be one.
With a nod to Gelett Burgess (purple cow writer)
Books: I finished "The Ghosts of Cannae" (Robert L. O'Connell) It's about Hannibal slaughtering Romans until he met his Scipio. It is a good read but be prepared --- butchery abounds. And I'm half way through "Nothing To Be Frightened Of" (Julian Barnes). It's Barnes' thoughts on religion, faith, art and mostly death. A very good read. A year or so ago I read his book "Flaubert's Parrot" which didn't do much for me. It was good enough that I finished reading it but I remember very little about it. This book is much more appealing to me. I might even return to it at a later date. DA
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