The Grandeur Within

That only which we have within, can we see without. If we meet no Gods, it is because we harbor none. If there is a grandeur in you, you will find grandeur in porters and sweeps.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Snakes Alive!

I went over to the Groom Cross the other afternoon and took a shortcut down this county road and (nearly) ran into this guy, a prairie rattler, about three foot long.

It wouldn't even move when I got out and threw some pebbles at it, didn't even rattle. For a minute, I thought it'd been run over and squished already because it looked so flat near its tail.

I had absolutely nothing longer than my arm on me except the tripod for my camera, and I really didn't want to wave it at the snake, esp. since I would soon be using it.

To be honest, I really didn't want to harm it. Now, if it was in my yard...

It moved a bit, so I figured it was only wanting to be left alone to soak up the setting sun's last warmth, some solar energy storage for a night's hunting. I really wanted it to make it coil up in strike position for a good shot, but didn't want to get close enough to make it assume that position.

I inched my truck up to it, the tire barely touching it and then I'd move the steering wheel, making the snake move but it didn't budge on its own, responding to this danger with nothing more than a lazy flick of its tail, not even a decent rattle!

I backed up, then drove right alongside it.

It finally started moving a little bit after I poured some water on it and I could finally hear an audible rattle, absolutely spine tingling. If you've ever been walking in tall grass and heard that sound, it will freeze you, root you to the spot!

There's something fishy about this cow...

Taken in the amphitheatre in Palo Duro Canyon last summer.

Why the Long Face?

Just outside my late parent's home.

It was a little bit anti-social, even with the offer of some stale celery from the bottom of mom's crisper.

It didn't BITE, though, like this one:

Crusty Demons

One of the coolest wallpaper places I've ever seen, based in the UK. Select the part of the body you wish to have the tattoo placed on, type in your name and create something unique for your Desktop.

At least it is for MY desktop.

I've never had a woman tattoo my name on her, anywhere. I'm not sure one has even aimlessly doodled my name in quite some time.

Come to think of it, I expect the last one to do that was most likely using a crayon. It was probably a stick figure drawing of me with horns on my head and dots all over my face, the grade-school equivalent of voodoo.

Here's another one I made with a different part of the lovely lady's body:



It's cool how the Brits spell "parlour" and some other words such as "favour", "flavour" and "endeavour". I shall endeavour to alter the flavour of my prose and favour the British spelling.

They talk cool too, at least the women do. I used to have the hots for Eliza Doolittle, Hayley Mills, too. Come to think of it, I could add Petulia Clark, Lulu and even Twiggy to that list, although I'd have wanted the last to eat a few more fish 'n chips.

I sure like Brit women but I like to think they really like Texas men.