Scattershot -

Is that the term I'm looking for? I have several things to say today, and they don't actually fit together, so I'm just going to blather on in my usual fashion, hoping I don't lose you along the way.

First of all, I'll send you away. How's that for a plan? I recently discovered a blog that delights me. It's called First 50 Words. I went over there yesterday and kept playing until I got embarrassed about the post clump I was creating. Do, please, click here and check it out. It's great fun and, as I said to its author, Virginia DeBolt, it's great exercise. But don't forget to come back.

Next, I'll send you away again....hmmm. I see a pattern forming. This time, I would like you to check out something that's good for what ails you. Joshilyn Jackson of Faster Than Kudzu issued an invitation to all of us to join a program that starts on June 1. It's called BetterU and it is part of Go Red for Women. I won't try to describe the program. I'll just suggest that you go on over to Joshilyn's place and she'll tell you all about it. (That will be her May 12 post.) I told someone that I joined Joshilyn's posse because I figure I'll be laughing too hard to get hungry, so I'm bound to lose weight.

When you get back from Joshilyn's, you can check out my photos. I told you yesterday that I had found a companion for Wilson, and I have. Here he is. I found him languishing in a pile of stuffed animals at the supermarket. I thought I recognized him. "Steinbeck?" I said. "Steinbeck? Is that you?"

No, I thought, that can't be Steinbeck. He was much larger. This little guy must be.....Son of Steinbeck! I was wrong, though.

Steinbeck fixed me with his reproachful eyes and said scornfully, "Of course I look smaller. You're bigger than you used to be. It's still me, and I've been waiting for you for years, I thought you would never turn up."

Needless to say, I bought him. I brought him home and introduced him to Wilson, who welcomed him eagerly, delighted to have someone to pick on when I'm not home.

Today, the three of us took Robin out to Biggs Park, which is next to the Duke Point Ferry terminal, and we all went for a walk. The tide was very low, as you can see in this photo. You may also note that our window of opportunity for a walk was limited. The rains were coming. The rains were coming.

So while we could, we walked. The cannis was in
bloom - and that's mostly what we went to see.

The cannis comes out right after the bluebells, so for a while, each Spring, there's a whole lot of blue out here.

I took this shot of a bed of cannis on the edge of a cliff. Beyond the flowers, all that grey-whiteness is another bed - this one a bed of oysters.

We stopped to check out some wildflowers whose name I did not know, and my two little LM&TOs spent some quality time together.



Shortly after that photo was taken, it became uncomfortably wet out on the trail, so we got into the car and took a bit of a joyride before we came home to a nice cup of tea.

Altogether, a lovely day.

Introducing Wilson -

Remember when I talked about Steinbeck, my former Literary Mentor and Transitional Object? Well, just talking about Steinbeck made me miss him. I realized that I needed another Steinbeck in my life. So, while I was out shopping last week, I kept my eyes open, watching for a suitable LM&TO to present itself. Steinbeck was a black and white stuffed rabbit, so that's what I had in mind. I wasn't having much luck until I abandoned the casual approach, walked purposefully into Toys R Us, and headed for the stuffed animal department. I pulled several teddy bears and a couple of rabbits from their perches, one at a time, and gazed into their eyes, but none of them seemed right. The larger animals were a bit expensive. I set them aside and kept trying to find love on a budget. I spotted a shelf full of small dogs and cats, and woo-hoo! they were on sale. I picked up a little black and white puppy, looked him in the eye, tickled him under the chin, scratched his floppy ears, and fell in love.

I named him Wilson, after the volleyball who kept Tom Hanks company on the desert island in Castaway. He is about the size of an eight-week old Lab puppy.

Adopting Wilson was such a good idea. He has restored my failing ability to 'play pretend'. When I sit watching Jon Stewart late at night, I absent-mindedly pet Wilson. Occasionally I scratch his ears, and he goes heh-heh-heh-heh. I talk to him. I plan to take him out for a ride in the next couple of days, so he can have his picture taken sitting in a dogwood tree, or maybe a cherry tree. He likes that idea. I'm even considering a companion for him, maybe one of those teddy bears with a squared-off nose and curly, glossy fur the colour of Kraft caramels.

I found it curious that on both occasions that I've adopted a LM&TO, I've chosen one that was black and white. If I were looking to adopt a real live pet, I would be looking for someone brindle or
black and tan or Just Plain Brown - but stuffed animals are different. I finally remembered that my original Transitional Object, the one I had when I was a toddler, was a panda. Duh.

So here I am, recovering my lost infancy, teetering on the edge of total lunacy, but rather enjoying it.

And no, Wilson didn't type the post. He's just checking it for typos.