THE BIRDS, THE BIRDS!!! by Diane Ogden

This is Thanksgiving Day! I headed out for Best Buy to find a new computer but it was closed, so I was turning around to go back out to the freeway, and I ended up at the back end of the West Town Mall which you can see was EMPTY of all human life forms, except mine. I had never seen the mall empty before. I noticed a flock of seagulls all grouped together so I pulled into the area to watch them.  This photo does not show the extent of the drama I experienced with THE BIRDS!  It was like they were waiting for me.  They all huddled around my car, some flying directly ahead of my windows.  I didn't feel any fear, even considering I am old enough to remember the movie, "The Birds," which was scary as all get out.  If I made any moves they would all start to fly around my car.  I wondered what the heck was going on.  After a while I decided to leave, but just before I did, another car pulled into the area and a middle aged Asian man gets out, with a large bucket in hand, and ALL the birds go flocking to him. It was pretty amazing to watch.  They knew him!  But they couldn't distinguish between he and I or between the two different cars.  I got to thinking about their brains and just what they could distinguish....  I don't know.  I just know they knew a car was coming with a human in it with food.  duh.. I have to say this was all   quite a refreshing site for me.  Thanksgiving Day and this man was offering up love and kindness for these birds.  For on this Thanksgiving Day there were no other humans in the parking lot as usual leaving any leftovers for these creatures who did not have any idea what a Pilgrim was and why there was no food this one particular day...   What a sweet man he must be! I know I am thankful for him. Those birds could have killed me just like in that movie.

Leaning Tower of Slat Racks, Rat Packs?

This is quite the site, isn't it?  I have experienced this site several times in Madison, Wisconsin.  And every time I experience it, my mind automatically suggests danger.  Ya think?  A slight wind, a slight miscalculation of the steering system, a sneeze, or God forbid another vehicle touches this ifel tower on the roadway...I could be toast along with others.  And would you take a look at the face in that side mirror?  I am SORRY to say I expected it to be a South of the border face, you know, down Mexico way?  But indeed no.  This was a true blue dumb ass Wisconsinite.  Even an Okie I could have accepted this behavior from.  Okie's don't be offended, it's merely from the jokes I have heard all my life and of course all the cars I have seen duct taped together in those parts, and of course my friend who pushes their old XR-7 in and out of the sun for the six large ferns they they store on its top!  Now you get it? This guy must be Norwegian. They push their houses to start their funaces. OK so that was a bad joke. My Dad told me that one years ago.
There must be money in carting around these slats stacked to the max.  Doesn't it remind you of the people, no not just the Chinese people, on bikes with mega huge bags of cans to return?  Same story, different cargo.  And as far as I could see there are only TWO straps on the sides holding this contraption together.  The only word I could think of while sitting BEHIND it was....irresponsible...then I thought of myself and the effect of all that wood on my hood.  Is that legal?  It can't be! I'm not dissin the guy for trying to make a living but come on....this is an act only a squirrel crossing an electrical wire over a main highway would know about. Both are equally dumb, or maybe equally smart, depending on how one looks at it.

I Don't Have Any Problems!

So I woke up this morning thinking the world itself and at least half its problems were on my head, shoulders, chest, hips, on down to my feet, not to mention my brain activity was less than desireable. Between and 1-10 I "were" sittin at a 2!  Of course I won/t go into the details, but there were many or so I thought.  I had run out of HEMP milk for my morning coffee, which makes all my bodily functions work each day, and now having said that.....lite us "Move" on.  I stopped at the local PDQ/KwikTrip/7-11/StopnGo and so on and so on... and I bought a cup of 1/2 decaf, 1/2 coffee to get myself going. Oh duh on the going thing. I meant to get myself more awake.  While choosing the size coffee cup I wanted to purchase a man walked past my rear side and as he did I smelled his aura or laggering cigarette smoke...He was then aside me purchasing a doughnut when his cell phone rang. He listened to the caller.  Then his words were slow, phlegmatic, and deep.  He said, "OK, yes, well we will just deal with it, it is all we can do."  He was about 43 years old, blonde hair below his ears, almost to his shoulders, a black leather jacket, jeans, and don't forget the aroma of cigarette smoke. I purchased my coffee and began to walk to my car when I saw a man leaving the store with a cup of joe and in his other hand a hot dog.  Yes it was too early for a hot dog.  He was an overweight man dressed impeccably... tie and all getting into a small sports car. (the perfect job, no one to fix him a decent breakfast, BUT, still appeared perfect until her bent over grabbing his tie as though something big needed to be fixed. And it did.  He has spilled his perfect coffee on his perfect tie.  I could "feel" his thoughts.  Should I go back home and get a new tie?  Or try to get thru it and drive on to the perfect job in the perfect car with the perfect stained tie?  Then I see the previous fellow coming out the store doors with his coffee in hand while trying to dial up his wife? girlfriend? Mother? with great and deep concern on his face.  My spirit could sense and feel his pain.  Maybe because he looked like my son, the son in prison.  Yet for whatever reason he touched my spirit. Deeply so.  I also noticed his vehicle was an older truck with brush in the back.   He is a low level worker.  He is our middle class.  He is  a survivor.  Do recall I overheard him saying to uplift his other half...'We will deal...we have no choice."  And so he will... Dammit.  Bless it. Both!  It sure took me away from myself.  I happened to notice I wasn't the only one with a problem or ten. Amen