Tucker holds two halves of an alder limb – Photo by Steve McCormick
Every once in a while, we get a look at something not quite meant to be seen — not exactly a secret, but certainly not out there for general viewing and discussion. Something interesting. Maybe a curiosity or an oddment never before considered as a possibility for contemplation. But, once viewed, a conversation starter for sure.
So it was with part of Tucker’s “Show and Tell” Friday night. In addition to the Flicker’s nest, he brought a section of that fallen alder’s branch that had split length-wise. On one half were a number of small nibs extending outwards; on the matching half were the little holes they had been extracted from. The tiny points were reddish in color, though Tucker said they were white in the beginning.
“That’s why they call it red alder,” he said.
“Really?” I asked.
A close-up from Tucker
“Maybe,” he laughed. “I really don’t know.” He wondered if they were the baby starts of more branches that would have eventually grown out and made themselves known.
Come to think of it, I’m not sure if these halves were from the dead tree that had hosted the Flickers’ construction or if it was from a living part of the tree that blew down. Where was Jon Fagerland or one of the other arborists we know to give us some answers? Or a maybe a logger would know… But we didn’t have anyone handy just then.
Once again, I amazed at what’s out there, unseen. Things never even considered in our daily treks through the world. Or at least not in mine.
Yesterday Nyel and I — sometimes separately and sometimes together — spent seven f***ing hours on the telephone trying to solve Cinderella’s broken heart. First we spoke with her Mother Ship; then with the Mother Ship’s Controller. That took three hours. They needed us to find out some information about our modem and its firewalls. That required several phone calls to CenturyLink who was the supplier of our Modem and our internet service. Need I say more? But… just in case you don’t realize… here in the greater downtown rural center of things, CenturyLink is the only show in town landline-wise , and for medical reasons – see below — we need the landline.
Finally! Those recalcitrant mastershalums are blooming! And everything else is, too. I love it! Even though there’s always something to be done around the edges, the blossoms hither and thither take my mind off the needy spots!
I know it’s a bit of a quantum leap, but I was wondering if the protesters on Capitol Hill in Seattle would have been so destructive if they could have had a few pieces of that fabulous loaf — as in “let them eat bread” and having enough for the multitudes as in the loaves and fishes story in the Good Book.
And about then, the power was back on. Yay! And a big thanks to whoever might have been out in the cold and dark and wind seeing to it that Nyel can bake those cookies!
