THE SEA...THE GREAT "ALONE"!

"Eternal Father, strong to save

Whose arm doth bind the restless wave..."

Navy Hymn, "Melita"

Here am I, out on the unimaginably

     vast ocean--- my trimaran, 

built and guaranteed 

          by Unsinkable Boats, Inc.,

SANK.... in a storm.

     (You don't want to hear 

            about it!)

I survived on my little raft, and

     that's about all that did...

I'm thirsty out here, and as Coleridge

     once wrote;

          "Water, water everywhere...

         ....and not a drop to drink."

Thus I occupy my thinking with an 

      endless debate: "Would I be 

   better off...in the GOBI?

One thing to be certain of, out here---

      The view from my raft is

    pretty much the same ev'ry day...

That's why the friendly white, and

      sometimes billowing clouds---

             seen daily on the horizon

   are so welcome and such friends!

But---no more storms, please.

The dolphins do swim along with me 

            some

      and that helps a little.

Luckily I kept my cell phone camera

     wrapped in my survival vest...

          and got this picture...but

  it didn't reach anywhere, 

                and eventually died.

Have you ever studied photos of the

     sea? Look at it, it goes uphill!

Alone on the vast sea, one has time 

     to think...to ponder things...

What kind of BEING...CREATOR...

     could conceive and create

          this gigantic planet---

  "EARTH?" The sea alone weighs 

           jillions of tons...and then there's

     whole universe---the Cosmos---

with millions of galaxies and stars,

      so many light years away, 

   we can't even fathom...and then..

THE SUN!

A gigantic choral piece from college choir

     days keeps echoing in my memory...

           composed by Richter...

"In the beginning God created the heaven

       and the earth, in the beginning...

And the earth was waste...waste...and...void."

"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face

     of the waters...the waters...the waters..."

"And God said: Let there be light!

      And there was light!

Li- ah-  ah- ah- ah- ah- ight .... Light...Light...

                           Light...

AND....THERE....WAS...

                              

LIGHT!"         

If I ever reach land again,

     I'll never be the same.

**********************

BY MIL

A COAT TALE

It's starting to get cool those September mornings here

on the high mesa, a mere five miles west of the famous

SANDIA Mountains. After all, we live at 5800 feet 

altitude.

The other morning I began to wonder where my much-

loved Duluth olive drab WWII "Operation Market-Garden"

jacket was stored for the summer.We dug it out! Ready

for a brisk autumn. bring it on!

This marvelous light weight, comfy, multiple-pocketed

copy of a wartime paratrooper jacket (from the "Big One"),

was made by the excellent Duluth Trading Co, out

of tough heavy "fire-hose" material, and is several years

old.

It is lined with a nice silky fabric which enables

one to don it rapidly, and has a dozen or so pockets

all over it---some hidden---and is keen for hiking, hunting,

carrying a spare spoon and some Beanie-Weenies, and

leather gloves, big red bandanas...and MEN STUFF!

With that brief intro,  hereby hangs a tale---yes a COAT

TALE!

I am in and out of the house in the cold times, and often

my writing corner misses out on the heat, somehow,

and thus I wear the above jacket a lot during the day.

Last year I decided an  alternate jacket choice, for a

bit of variety was indicated. And I remembered that Duluth

had once offered in their catalog a duplicate Market Garden

jacket in DESERT TAN.

At a bargain $139.95 for a "tall man" size, I just phoned 

the company and tried to order one. "I'm sorry," said the

nice lady, "but it was discontinued and we are sold out."

I was very disappointed.

On a hunch and a long shot, I wrote the company VP of

Marketing and asked if he could run down such a jacket for

me (in Desert Tan) anywhere in the system.

This was about early fall of 2015. No reply.

I forgot all about it.

Then one evening  in June (2016) night near dusk, the

doorbell rang. BE went. Nobody was there, but UPS had

left a hefty package, lying on a lawn chair.

She brought in the box and said: "Did we order something?"

"Not that I remember," I said.

Addressed to me, I opened it. GUESS WHAT?

Folded ever-so-tightly-and-neatly....there was a beautiful 

Duluth Trading Co. WWII replica Tall-Size, desert tan,

Fire Hose Material, many-pocketed Operation Market-Gaden

paratrooper jacket! (With a tan silk lining!)

You could have knocked me over with a feather.

And there was a letter, not folded, but in a plastic sleeve, and

from the Vice President of Marketing.

"We appreciate your business and we strive to give the best

of service at all times. Somehow your letter was lost in a stack

for many months, and I apologize for that.

I have had a special jacket made up for you at the factory, since

we are no longer listing that one in our catalogs. Please accept

it and enjoy---along with our apologies..." 

It was gratis! 

I can't wait to try it out, and soon, when the brisk fall winds come,

and the leaves are scurrying along the curbs...and the aroma

of roasting green chillies is permeating the air!

....and thanks to Duluth Trading, a US company that makes

fine, tough, handsome work clothing...at a really fair price,

and cares about its customers...

So that's my COAT TALE!

***************

BY MIL

9/15/16

DANGEROUS MONEY CLIPS.... AND BANDAIDS

DANGEROUS MONEY CLIPS....AND BANDAIDS

THE REST OF THE STORY....IN PHOTOS

BAND AID STORY, REVISITED....

((MIL: "Well sir, thar we were out at El Pinto that

New Year's Eve, I reckon maybe  'twas 'bout

ten years ago by now, and w/that bunch of old

timers we et with each year were havin' our

annual Mexican food dinner, where presidents

had et, when in town...there were, I make it,  

some ten/twelve of us annually an' we got 

a long table...early evening every New Year's...

The doctor (medical) sat at one end and always  

said grace...They put Mil at the foot with BE...

So when we were paying up, each couple---its

shares, old 'show-off Mil' pulled out his new

Christmas-gift MONEY. CLIP, like NY guys carry---

with his pitiful wad of bills to show it off--- big

time---and remember he cut hisself on the knife

which folds on the outside---it's SHARP--- believe

it!

....."and the doc came around and extracted a

BandAid from a credit card slot in his wallet...and

bandaged ole Mil..."

Remember the story, last week?))

((Reader: "Mil, loved Band Aid story, but how 

can a guy cut hisself on a money clip?")

Here ii is...in photos, Iff'n I can figure out how

to put TWO photos on the same story...

If he sez it, it is fact...not like the liberal press!

Happy,

 M.

(Clip was never used again, and the onliest reason

you are looking at it: I found it stored a in box while

searching for an old watch.) See how new it looks.

THE STORY OF OUR TOMATOES

"HAVE FAITH...THE LORD WILL DO MIRACLES!"

****************************************************

The neighbors all seemed to appear that day,

way back in circa 2004, when I was out in front

planting tomatoes in my five new Earth Boxes!

I knew how Noah felt when he was building the

Ark.

They gawked, giggled and kidded me--"Howdaya

think any tomatoes are gonna grow in those silly

little boxes, full of dried dirt?" 

And I began to feel a bit provoked (friendly-like), 

and I sez something like: "Be careful, Ole Mil

has forgot more about farming than you guys 

ever knew...don't insult him...for you'll be comin'

over admiring my dozens and dozens of tomatoes

and hinting for some on yore dry hamburgers!"

Then I said: "Read 1 Cornthians 3: 6-8" We are 

planting, watering, but only God can give the 

increase!"

It happened just like I said it would. Now they all

drop by ev'ry year, in amazement...and shamelessly

hinting...for tomatoes...(neighbors can sometimes...

er...be "deplorable..." thanks for that, Hy!)

This has been by far our best growing year, and 

I'll tell you why.

Our son Brian, who loves tomatoes AND

grows then hisself (I know it is "himself.")---

he gave  us an auto-watering system for BOX 

TOMATOES and he rigged it himself. We have 

never had to water...even once...except planting

day....

He also have us a bottle of safe-spray-stuff for

killing manducas quienquemaculatas, those 

hideous tomato worms that BE hates. Tho' they

are not bad hors d'oeuvres, dipped in corn meal

and deep fried for a party! 

We've had ONE this year! Worm...

Now, avoid the mistake of some---they get five

or six boxes through the mail and get carried away

and have cucumbers, peas, beans, watermelons,

and ONE tomato box, with two plants.

No, no, no---doncha see---you can buy any and

all kinds of beautiful veggies, all summer long---good,

fine, healthy, great veggies...even artichokes---

tho' goodness know, I wouldn't know what to do

with one...

BUT, BUT...(sit down and memorize this:) "YOU

CANNOT BUY VINE-RIPENED, RED, JUICY,

FLAVORFUL TOMATOES....that go good with

bacon, eggs, and grits...."

ANYWHERE! JUST GROW 'EM YORESELF!

***********

MIL

9/14/16

THE SILENCE AND THE LIGHT.....OF AUTUMN

A Great Silence has fallen

     over the high mesa 

here, where we live...

     in the shadow of the 

Sandia Mountains...

It came several weeks ago---

     earlier than usual

and more noticeable...

It is a silence that is so loud,

     one hears it---I know...

it's a strange thing...

It is like living on a farm, a dozen

      miles from anywhere...

with no cows mooing, no pigs

      oinking, and no chickens

"puck-puckng..."

and no distant lonesome tractor

      motors, heard from afar off...

It is true, the only three sounds 

     we can remember from these

weeks...are the wind-chimes 

     out back during soft, silent 

breezes...

The Tuesday morning city trash 

       truck,  as it picks up the

trash bin across the street,

      and honks its air-horn each

week

at the five-year-old boy, the aspiring

      future TRASH MAN, who 

arises early weekly, dons his little

      striped Osh-Kosh overalls

and waits at the curb, with his mama,

      and waves...

Then there is the small, pesky dog

      somewhere in the neighborhood

who barks during naps, with

     his strident little "ARF-ARFS..."

But it is not the silence that matters

      most...

It is the LIGHT!

The light that graces my cozy corner...

       the "dappled

light" which falls almost as a blessing

      on my writing place...

is gone, headed for Capricorn...

The colorful, fruited,  table-cover,

     My writing pad and silver Cross pen

are also dark now, because of

     the departed dappled light...

Oh in a sense, it is still here--- now 

     falling

across my shirt, for as the sun

      moves south, the shadows also

move...north...

Things change...they say it is the 

      nature of things...change...

But maybe there's enough light

    stored in a poet's heart

to still be able to write 

     during the cold, dark times,

which are coming...

****************

BY MIL

9/09/16

     

   

FLYING MONKEY BREAD AND TRAMWAY TRAIL CRUNCH

"FLYING MONKEY BREAD" 
 AND  "TRAMWAY TRAIL CRUNCH"

The first thing I always do when going into the

Great Harvest Bread Company,  is

to head for the "free-sample-bread-slice-counter,"

where a nice girl is smiling and waiting to cut you a

generous slice of (five or six choices) of one of their 

tasty breads. A big container of butter  is there for

you to slather your slice!

Last Saturday, however, I was a "guest" of BE, and 

SHE went in, loaded up on breads, and came out

bringing me a slice of "TRAMWAY TRAIL CRUNCH,"

loaded with pecans...and slathered! Marvelous piece!

You see, BE said to me that day, up in the morning,

in her low delightful, musical voice: "This is going to

be a FUN day! You're going on errands with me, and

since they are MY errands, I will drive---you just sit

back and enjoy---put on your dark shades, your olive

army cap, and show off your neat new haircut!"

"Just sing a song or two to me as we drive around 

town---okay?"

(The HAIRCUT  thing: I had been seven months without

a haircut. A friend of mine, we'll call him "Doc," is 

very brilliant and he ascribes this intelligence to his

beautiful long white hair. so I tried it for seven months.

About the fourth month, an old boyhood friend and 

I were visiting and he said: "You need a haircut."

I said: "Well don't sugar-coat it." Anyway, I didn't 

get any smarter, and so finally got it cut. 

I've been freezing ever since. I mean: IT IS SHORT!)

But anyway, there we were out shopping (me staying

in the car) and so I sang an old favorite to her---as we  

drove around, I can sing "nasal" iff'n I need to. 

"Out in the West Texas town of El Paso

I fell in love with a Mexican girl;

Nighttime would find me in Rose's Cantina

Music would play and Felina would whirl..."

  .....my best Marty Robbins...

Sunday being a hard church day for BE, at the  piano,

we had loaded up on barbecued ribs and a pint of 

 sauce, and onion rings at Quarters....plus some

egg rolls and orange chicken sticky-white-rice bowls

at Panda...

And now I was sitting there at the bread store, out 

front, and watching a pigeon peck toward me,

unconcernedly. A blackish pigeon, against the

grayish asphalt and I slipped my cell phone---with

camera out of my favorite old faded blue denim 

shirt pocket.

The darn pigeon stayed way back over my shoulder

and I never got a picture of him alone on that vast

parking lot...so I just shot a photo of the bread store!

And sat there thinking how lucky the community is to

have a place like that! It has been here for 12 or 15

years and makes many delightful breads---certain

choices on different days...all published for the

customers selections---on regular emails.

Here is a partial list of their breads----so interesting:

Crusty Italian....NY Caraway Rye...San Francisco 

  Sour dough

Honey Whole Wheat...Green Chili Pine Sourdough...

   Challah...Cinnamon Twist...Somma  County

Apple Cinnamon Swirl...Montana Crunch...Oregon Herb...

    Sourdough Whole Wheat...Farm House...

Sour Cream Blueberry...Tramway Trail Crunch...

    Cranberry Pecan....Sunflower Whole Wheat..

Spanish Arroyo...Bonnie's Whole Grain & Flax...

    and the Saturday bread, which BE came for:

"FLYING MONKEY BREAD!"

Great Harvest also has a nice selection of muffins,

scones, dinner rolls, and have added recently---

SANDWICHES...made with their own excellent 

spreads, and your choice of breads!

They make really tasty sandwiches.

Also they have a nice stock of jellies and jams,

many of which are not  found in grocery stores.

This store is a real credit to our community

and one we never tire of visiting.

Monkey Bread  Enhanced!
(BE didn't think the original Monkey Bread had enough sugar and fat!)

   *********************

    BY MIL

    9/04/16

     Mil             

A WRITER'S PRAYER

May the Light of Heaven

     daily

Illuminate my soul and my

      written thoughts...

 May I have wise and inspired

      insights,

extolling the worthy values

      and joys

of existence...to express 

     to others...

The glorious times of growing up...

      parents, hometown, 

teachers, mentors, 

                       life-long friends...

and spiritual values. as well---

      decency, honesty, 

loyalty, work-ethic,  

      trust-worthiness, and love

 of country...America, the beautiful...

And above all, as ever, may our

      Creator and our Savior

be glorified and exalted----

      in every word.

Amen.

*****************

MIL

September 1, 2016

YE OLD WEATHERED OUTHOUSE

O thou necessary evil...

     ever the bane 

of all mankind...

Hated the most, maybe

     by little kids

who were terrified of the

      "---- snakes," 

the perverted old timers

      warned them of....

Small, rickety, pitiful little

     building thou art, but yet

somehow with a certain elegance

      and pride, in thy own right....

Hastily nailed. together, and  prolly

     not even squared-up, as

buildings were wont to be---and

      maybe almost an 

after- thought... are you leaning 

     a bit?

Thou hast a strange beauty and 

      class, with thy beautiful

gray, grainy wood that has always

       thirsted for varnish or shellac...

There are many pluses connected 

     with thee---no plumbing or water

bills for example...but minuses 

     also, when one thinks of visiting

you on cold midnights...or during

     northers and blizzards...

Who ever even thought of a heater

     for you...or maybe a small

fireplace?!

When thy day is done, and work on 

     earth is finished...some dining

room, that serves barbecue 

      and beans 

would like to have thy antique grey

     grainy wood..

Not to worry...we won't divulge

    your...er...resume.

We all have things

      not to be remembered.

*******************

Mil

8/29/16