The Road Goes Ever On and On

There and Back Again

Whatever you do, I'm certain it will be lovely.

The Grey Havens - 04/03/2004

Long Time Gone - 22/02/2004

Only for Now - 04/02/2004

The Neverland - 19/01/2004

There's no times at all, just the New York Times - 15/01/2004

Links and Rings
No Shame Pieces
Untitled Story
Other Writings

18/08/2002 - 9:12 p.m.

Nothing to say, but it's OK.

The Australians have humung-o mutant geese! Now, living in the Mid-West, I know the temperament of geese. They can be downright nasty. The geese from Go Tell Aunt Rhody seem downright morose and cuddly, but they're not. They chase you, and they bite you and they're just not the most friendly little creatures. Now, imagine them weighing in at half a ton and chasing you across the Australian Outback! It could happen. Well, could have happened, 55 million years ago. Apparently they belong to a whole load of animals called megafauna, animals who have much much smaller ancestors today. (Hmm, there's an interesting thought: people are getting taller, it's only a matter of time before we all turn into dwarves.) Anyway, the article can be found here.

I went to the fair today and have had my fill of real ice cream and corn dogs and pickles and horses and giant bulls and llamas, and free stuff and chainsaw carving and buckskinners and photography competitions and ugly cakes and guys on stilts and walking magicians and the whole fair environment to last me until next year.

I also went and saw the Butter Cow. Yes folks, that's correct, this would be the annual thing at the Iowa State Fair, the thing all your friends write home about. This is a cow sculpted entirely out of butter. Here is a post card of a cow I would deem to have been sculpted in the mid 70's.

(Correct me if you know better.) Every year for forty odd years, Norma "Duffy" Lyon has sculpted a cow (this year a Jersey) entirely of butter. Usually there is another sculpture to go with it, a horse, Elvis, The Last Supper (that was huge), John Wayne, and Charlie Brown and friends this year. And, with Charlie Brown she finishes. Next year there will be a butter cow, but not a Duffy Lyon cow. The job has been handed down to a relation who, if you ask me, has a pretty big reputation to fill. So I made sure to go and see the cow this year (as I do every year, but with a certain significance this year).

I did not, however, go to the free Village People Concert. There are some things at which I draw the line, and the Village People for free is one of them. They're old now, they'd have to change all their lyrics, and frankly, I can't say I could stand listening to such old favourites as: "Old man, there's a place you can go, I say old man." or "Senile senile ma-an, I want to be a senile man." Not that I don't adore The Village People or anything.

Leaving the fair I ran into Charles, and it struck me just how good he would be as a radio personality. He's really a nice guy, friendly with everybody, and it just borders on being phony, but I don't think he is. It's also occured to me that I may never see him again, but I said "see you later". I never do say good bye, always see you later. I wonder why?

Another random thought, that's two linked in pictures in one week. Overzealous? (Hmmm, is that one word, or two?)

�From the Shire, down the Anduin, to Mordor

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