Jul22

free stuff.

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MY FAVORITE NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORHOOD POST OF THE WEEK (with responses)

Especially the first sentence

 

My robot lawn mower drove itself into my free pile and someone took it. Which is fair. It looked free. It was not free. If you’re now the owner of a white Navimow you didn’t expect to have this week, I’d like it back! Happy to give you something for your trouble. No questions, no hard feelings — it just works for a living and I’d like it to come home. =) Also whatever to the bozo who took the container for the pop-top thingies but left the thingies ?! C’mon! 

Oh no! I’m sorry this happened to you. Here’s hoping robots of the future show better judgment than to hop in a free pile!

Disappointed I didn’t hear about the free pile. 

UGH! I put out a shelving unit. Someone took the shelf boards, left the unit for me to have to dispose of, because who wants a shelf unit without any shelves?

A robot lawn mower… I had no idea such a thing existed! I hope you get it back. 

Sorry to hear that. Had no idea how expensive they are. Hope it returns. If it is like my IRobot Roomba they can shut it down.it doesn’t have gps to help locate it?

 it does have gps, but not to “phone home” … for that it’d need a cellular modem or something.

·Not to pour salt on the wound, but did you find it worth the money? The fact that it did not go around the pile is a bummer – my neighbor has one and it does a terrible job of mowing. 

You see these robot lawn mowers all over the place in Europe.  If you stand in front of them, they will stop and wait for you to move.  If you do not move they try to move around you. 

This reminds me of the scary sweeper they have at Sam’s Club. It only stops if you’re certain height. I saw a mother having to pull her child away from this crazy thing.

I have had people go shopping around my house when I had free stuff out. I had a table taken, a shovel by the front garden, and some other minor things. Sorry about your mower, that is not a minor thing.

When I was a kid my dad made a “robot” mower from a little tykes trike. I helped with something but not much. This was early seventies and it mowed about 100 ft. before my dad put int the crawl space. It now hangs in my garage.

Edit:  It has been RETURNED !!!  Thank you, bozo !!!  (Wait, wait … you’re not the bozo — the person who messed with the little thing-a-majigs is. You’re the hero of this story! Robot says thanks !!

What a happy ending. almost like a Disney movie.

 

—

‘i don’t care how much money you have, free stuff is always a good thing.’

-Queen Latifah

 

Jul21

wildman.

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Not many people can say they were arrested for picking and eating a dandelion in New York’s Central Park, but there’s at least one: Steve Brill, also known as “Wildman.” Although the 1986 charges were eventually dropped, the story made national headlines (he even landed on Late Night With David Letterman), and the city ended up hiring him to lead foraging walks in the very place he was arrested.
​
Fourty years later, the 77-year-old forager is still hosting nature tours in the park to help people identify, responsibly harvest, and cook with plants and mushrooms — and ultimately, get “closer to nature, one bite at a time,” per his website. He also has several books, an app, and even a plant card game.
​
Urban foraging in New York is technically illegal. But Brill ensures he’s only picking invasive and renewable resources, and maintains that what’s gained in awareness is irreplaceable. “People appreciate what’s going on, how the ecosystem works,” he told the Associated Press. “Then they become more protective.”
​
​ If you’re in the New York area, check out his calendar to forage with him.

—

‘a foraging wild creature, intent above all upon survival, is as strong as the grass.’

-richard adams

  • Richard Adams (1920–2016) was an English author best known for his debut 1972 novel, Watership Down. Originally a civil servant, he wrote the acclaimed naturalistic story about wild rabbits at his daughters’ urging. He later wrote other anthropomorphic and fantasy works . A former British Army veteran who served in World War II, Adams did not begin his writing career until he was in his late 40s. Following the overnight international success of Watership Down, he retired from the Civil Service in 1974 to become a full-time author.

 

—

source credits: AP, nicenews

Jul20

choice rubbish.

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i guess they have something for everyone

 

—

‘if you want rubbish, you will get rubbish.’

-Rishi Kapoor

Jul19

here it is.

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if you’ve been looking

here it is

i found it

right in front of me.

 

 

—

‘i’m a big cockeyed optimist. i try to accentuate the positive as opposed to the negative.’

-Betty White

*Betty White,  (1922-2021) was an American actress and comedian.

She was a pioneer of early television with a career spanning almost seven decades,

 known for her positve approach to life.

 

Jul18

journeys.

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walking into the small gallery

we saw

 a very intriguing  ship

way up high

above a wall of art and exotic teas

it looked like

a viking longship

the owner said

indeed it was

her scandinavian grandfather

built it long ago

spent many hours

making the details perfect

using

special wood

adding

the colors

the rigging

strung carefully

the dragon

as the figurehead

to frighten enemies

bring the vikings good luck

the “heart” symbols

valknut

for protection of the god Odin

honor their fallen warriors

symbolize the transition

between life and death

one day

he sent it

across the seas

to america

to her father

who passed it on

to his daughter

who owned the gallery

who passed on to her son

who, when he grew

passed it back to his mother

who loved it

wanted to rescue it

put it in her gallery

where she could look at it

where visitors

could admire

and wonder about

this legacy gift

the only thing

that didn’t survive

over time

were

the hand made

paper sails

he had taken such care

to raise on the mast

it lived on

through

the journeys

the generations

 the years

arriving at last

in a safe harbor

now shared

for all to enjoy

and imagine

the journeys it has taken.

—

“The more journeys you make, the more directions they take.”
– Egil’s Saga

Egil’s Saga was written down between 1220-1240 AD. While it is an epic story spanning the 9th and 10th centuries, it is not a 100% true story, but is  deeply rooted in real history. Egill Skallagrímsson, was a 10th-century Viking warrior and poet. However, the saga was written down centuries later and blends verifiable facts with folklore, myth, and legendary exaggeration. The saga functions as a mix of biography and medieval literature.
Jul17

roundabout.

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and yet another

interesting parking concept

this one

brings new meaning to

the term

’round-about’

not sure how well this will work

in a small parking lot area

with hopes of

everyone cooperating

but i do like

the happy spirit of the idea.

 

—

‘life is a journey, but don’t worry, you’ll find a parking spot at the end.’

-isaac asimov

 

—

glen arbor, michigan, usa – summer 2026

 

Jul16

smoke on the water.

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evening looking across glen lake

no sand dunes to be seen

perfectly quiet and still

—

the further north we headed

toward the lake

the more smoke was in the air

canada

 our neighbors to the north

were suffering from big fires

the sunset tried to shine through 

it’s sparkles made it to the water

—

‘flame is very near to smoke.’

-Plautus 

 

 

 

—

glen lake, michigan, usa – july 2026

 

Jul15

oooh, oooh!

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waiting in baggage claim

at the airport

kind of quiet

nothing much happening

the mood

suddenly changes

all i can hear is

‘ooh, ooh, ooh!’

someone

has arrived

someone else

has been waiting

both are

so so so happy

to see each other

they run

they start

hugging 

jumping

ooooooing

and 

walk by smiling

it’s impossible

 not be happy 

right along with them

their unbridled joy

spills over

and is infectious.

 

—

‘do you ever get secondhand happiness? 

like when someone is happy 

so you’re happy

because they’re happy.’

-soul in ink

Jul14

tempting.

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a very creative parking spot

the sign said stop, she he did

 

 

—

‘the road to success is dotted with many tempting parking spaces.’

-will rogers

 

Jul13

personal space.

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that feeling when your sibling takes up way too much space in the bed

today’s dramatic moment

starring:

olive and pete the cat

 

—

”i’d learned a long time ago that of the finest weapons in my arsenal

was my ability to invade personal space.’

-maggie stiefvater

 

*Maggie Stiefvater is a #1 New York Times bestselling American author, artist, and musician best known for her atmospheric young adult fantasy novels. Her work spans across multiple genres, blending magical realism, folklore, and lyrical prose. Before committing to writing full-time, Stiefvater worked as a professional portrait artist and a wedding musician. She brings these creative backgrounds into her storytelling and frequently composes custom musical soundtracks for her book releases.