Hair-Raising Thoughts

5/10/13

THE SIDEWALK: MY JOURNEY AROUND THE BLOCK

Project 2 • No. 10

Don't Fence Me In

I have always hated cyclone fences. They are often rusted and bent, or worse yet,

woven with green plastic strips to simulate a hedge. Unfortunately, it is a common sight in suburbia.

Is it possible to find beauty in these chain-link walls? I ventured to find out.

Sunshine transforms wire into lace of light and shadow.

Man vs. nature. Nature won.

Morbidly beautiful.
I discovered that white bikes like this represent the spot where a biker was killed by a motorist.

Beautiful decay.

A baseball backstop. Maybe not beautiful, but necessary.
Little league games would take 9 hours if the catchers had to chase all those missed pitches.

5/2/13

THE SIDEWALK: MY JOURNEY AROUND THE BLOCK

Project 2 • No. 9

High Wire Act

I have grown up surrounded by telephone poles and wires as if a constant circus act
was in progress throughout town with only the birds to perform for us.

For the last three years, I have driven under a pair of sneakers dangling from a wire spanning

a busy road. Recently, two more sneakers joined the high wire act. Out of
curiosity, I googled "sneakers on a wire." Suburban legend claims they are symbols
for: losing one's virginity, a spot where drugs are sold, or the mark of a
gang. Gee...and I just thought it was kids showing off there crazy muscle skills.

This pole actually looks like it could be part of the circus.

This pole covered with rusted staples and nails, represents all the communication

that has gone on over the years—not just over telephone wires—

but through various flyers posted by locals for garage sales and lost puppies.

4/26/13

THE SIDEWALK: MY JOURNEY AROUND THE BLOCK

Project 2 • No. 8

The Suburban Menagerie

This little black bird has climbed into my bathroom vent every morning for weeks

and scratches around to make me think I have a racoon in my house.

I throw open my bedroom window to catch him in the act, but he flies up to the peak

of my neighbor's roof and perches with an air of innocence.

"What! I didn't do anything," he glares.

Another day, I was amused to see a goose just strolling down the sidewalk.

Apparently, she was just putting out her recycle pail.

Yes. It's true. I am nuts (pun intended).

I spend large amounts of time watching the squirrels around my yard.

I have three local nests. One in each of the front oak trees and one in the backyard tree.

These little guys entertain me on long days of artistic isolation.

I once rescued a squirrel from drowning in my neighbors garbage can that had filled

with rain water. There is a simplicity in their world that I envy.

At the center of the photo (above) is the nest in my back yard with

the homeowner emerging just after sunrise.

I am proud to say that I have flamboyant squirrels.

I watched them build this nest one morning and returned to find it had a splash of personality—

a lovely piece of pink plastic fluff topped it off. It is lit beautifully at sunrise.

One morning I found three baby squirrels frozen on my front oak tree.

They had ventured out of the nest but hadn't considered the challenge of returning. The runt of the litter was at the end of the line and having the hardest time. I watched as the mother appeared

on the scene, climbing up the trunk and into the nest several times over as if teaching them how to do it. Number 1 followed her lead and returned to safety. She extended her body, head first, to allow

Number 2 to climb on top of her, and he made it back. Number 3 stayed frozen, just a weak squeak of help coming from him. Finally, mama gave in and hung her body down and grabbed him

and pulled him up to safety. As a mother, I have to say I felt connected to this little family after witnessing this.

4/19/13

THE SIDEWALK: MY JOURNEY AROUND THE BLOCK

Project 2 • No. 7

The Supermarket ain't so Super.

I dread going food shopping. It is an hour of endless decision making.

What should I have for dinner?

If I buy fish, which one is okay to eat? Wild or organic? Which one is endangered?

(Maybe I'll just get chicken.)

Should I buy those out of season strawberries from California? They look so good!

(Stay local and in season or you'll feel guilty.)

Should I buy the organic blueberries for $7.99?

(Or go cheap and pollute my son's body with pesticides?)

Is agave a healthy sugar or just as bad as high fructose corn syrup?

(Remember when you ate cherry fun dip and lik-m-sticks and felt good about it?)

Should I get those pretzels and chips?

(Just bags of killer carbs and empty calories.)

Should I get a case of water bottles?

(Bad for the environment and possibly cancer causing...but oh so convenient.)

THE RESULT: PSYCHOLOGICAL EXHASUTION

So I thought I was hallucinating when I saw this:

Shelled soybeans and Sponge Bob...that's a combo nightmares are made of.

4/12/13

THE SIDEWALK: MY JOURNEY AROUND THE BLOCK

Project 2 • No. 6

Life in the Gutter

"One man's trash is another man's treasure."

4/5/13

THE SIDEWALK: MY JOURNEY AROUND THE BLOCK

Project 2 • No 5

Extra! Extra! Read all about it!

The word "news" stands for North, East, West, South. In the past, there was a limit on how far the compass arrows extended when it came to news coverage. Now we're global —bombarded with horrific tales from around the world 24/7. Author and speaker, Dr. Christiane Northrup, said that our nervous systems are only meant to handle the news from our local tribe, not the whole world. That rings true for my nervous system. In fact, I've had doctors instruct me not to listen to the news to reduce my stress level. So I go out for walks to clear my mind and calm my spirit...but somehow the news seems to follow me.

TEARS FOR DADDY — I had heard about a policeman who was shot and killed.

He had four children. I couldn't get him off my mind, so I went for a walk. This is what greeted me.

SCUM— I think this was referencing a man who crashed into a cab killing a man, woman,

and their unborn baby and then left the scene. The story shook me to my core.

I went on a strict news "fast" after hearing that story, but again, the news followed me.

TE'O FAKE GIRLFRIEND IDENTIFIED— And then there are the absurdities that people

love to get wrapped up in to escape the difficulties of their own lives. Someone else's reality becomes the entertainment of the day, neatly wrapped in plastic and delivered to your doorstep.