Floors tend to be slippery when wet.

It turns out if you run full speed across a freshly mopped floor, it is entirely likely that you will go careening into the wall. I thought I had broken my leg it hurt so bad, but then I realized that I was standing on it. I'm not sure how well the photos portray the huge swollen knot just below my knee-cap. It is at least the size of a softball, and I'm sure it's going to soon display an alarming resemblance to a rainbow.

Photographic evidence:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Dead Birds Fly

I have been photographing the decomposition of a dead bird over the last couple of months. Today, the bird is gone. I imagine it must have flown away.

The Day Isaac Came to Missouri

As I type this, it has been raining for nearly 16 hours. The rain fell and fell and fell and, with any luck, it will continue well into tomorrow. It has rained so much I need to vacuum the water that is pooling up outside my bedroom. 

I haven't heard one complaint. 

I can't remember a time that everyone has been so incredibly ecstatic for water to be falling from the sky. Maybe... Just maybe... The grass will rise from the grave. Maybe the trees will come back from the brink of death. Maybe our well will fill up, and I'll be able to take a shower with actual water pressure instead of the trickle I've been using for the last month.

My fingers are crossed. Rain is amazing. It just goes to show that one man's life-threatening event can be another's savior.

Thanks, Isaac.

Thistles are blooming in Missouri

They remind me of you.

Why I love my small town...

At my little sister's basketball game this evening, they had everyone stand for the national anthem. The moment after everyone stood and faced the flag, the PA system decided it had had enough of playing the national anthem before high school basketball games and crapped out. The whole crowd waited patiently for about two minutes, and just as everyone started getting restless the home team started singing. By the end of the first line, the rest of the crowd joined in. It was kind of amazing.

Sent from my iPod, Astronaut.

I found the tree where the Bald Eagle keeps court…

The American Public School system did a wonderful job brainwashing me. I still wholeheartedly believe that the Bald Eagle is a majestic expression of freedom and I can hardly take my eyes off of the birds when I see them (which is becoming more and more often since this nest is near the barn at the horse ranch).

The eagle was too far up in the sky for me to snap a picture of it, but it is always fun to ride under this nest when the leaves are off the tree just to see the enormity of the whole thing. Instead of twigs, it’s mostly made up of small branches. An impressive structure, if I do say so myself. I just wish that my pictures could do the King’s court justice. Unfortunately, to my brainwashed, American brain, no pictures can accomplish that.

Symbolism...

Typically, I wear six earrings between my two ears. For the last year I have been wearing a strawberry, a peace sign, a faux diamond, a hoop, and two plastic rainbow-hearts. (For the most part, only girls ages eleven and younger compliment my earrings.)

On Wednesday past, I lost one of the rainbow-hearts.

Yesterday, New Year's Eve, the on remaining rainbow-heart broke.

What does That say about my upcoming year?

Sent from my iPod, Astronaut.