even the skeletons are feeling festive
and looking quite relaxed.
—
Note: my laptop took a splash of water
so if you don’t see me for a few days
I’m still around
just hoping my miracle-worker tech guys
can save it from the boneyard.
—
my granddaughter at her swim meet
i’ve watched her grow in strength and speed
my niece in her rowing regatta
i’ve watched her grow confident in trying new things
my good friend’s son on the keys in a jazz trio at an art fair
i’ve watched him grow to find his gift and proudly share it with others
—
each has worked very hard
all have grown as people
in so many ways
what a thrill to see them
stepping out into the world
exactly as they are
i could not be prouder.
—
‘you get whatever accomplishment you are willing to declare.’
-georgia o’keeffe
Group portrait of Potawatomi Indians, including men, women, and children, gathered for a special occasion
at Rush Lake Mission near Watervliet, Michigan, on Sept. 4, 1906.
Library of Congress image attributed to T.R. Hamilton
—
‘action on behalf of life transforms.
because the relationship between self and world is reciprocal…
as we work to heal the earth, the earth heals us.’
-robin wall kimmerer
—
on Indigenous Peoples’ Day
—
u.s. presidential proclamation:
it’s always quickly apparent
whimsy and joy step in
when i turn down a road
finding myself on campus
i think that many find themselves here.
—
‘the joy of living is his who has the heart to demand it.’
-theodore roosevelt
World’s Longest Treasure Hunt Ends After 31 Years, 5 Months, and 9 Days
The world’s longest treasure hunt appears to have come to an end, after an announcement in France that a buried statuette of a golden owl has finally been unearthed – after 31 years.
“We confirm that the replica of the golden owl was dug up last night, and that simultaneously a solution has been sent on the hunt’s official chatline. The message was posted by Michel Becker, who illustrated the original Chouette d’Or (golden owl) book and sculpted the buried statuette in 1993.
Tens of thousands of people have taken part in the search, which has spawned a huge secondary literature in books, pamphlets and Internet sites. They have all been following 11 complicated puzzles set out in the first book by its creator, Max Valentin. When he died in 2009, Mr Becker took over the operation.
The complex clues were supposed to lead to a precise point somewhere in France, where a bronze replica of the actual golden owl would be found under the ground. The winner would get the precious gold original.
A documentary on the treasure hunt by French broadcaster Canal+ said earlier this year that the value of the owl is estimated to be €150,000 (£126,000). The world of chouetteurs – as the treasure-hunters are called – was in uproar on Thursday morning as news of the reported find spread.
“Finally – liberated!” reads one post on the hunt’s chatline on the Discord forum.
“I didn’t think I’d live to see the day,” reads another. And: “It’s like Covid. So good when it’s over.”
“Curiously, I’m relieved. I’m desperate to know the solutions now to see if I was on the right path,” comments another user.
Some hunters remained skeptical, fearing that the cache might have been discovered with a metal detector. Under the rules, the finder has to show that they correctly solved the enigmas and did not just stumble upon the owl by chance. The hunt was mired in legal rows for some years after Mr Valentin’s death, and not all owl-hunters accepted Mr Becker’s inheritance of the central role.
Mr Becker himself originally had no knowledge of the situation of the buried owl. The solution was in a sealed envelope in the possession of Mr Valentin’s family. But after the legal difficulties were resolved, Mr Becker read the solution and travelled to the spot to verify that the owl was still there. In recent years, he has released more clues to the owl community, triggering interest in a new generation of chouetteurs.
—
“it’s not about the treasure – it’s about the hunt.”
-william ritter, american author
—
source credit: hugh schofield, bbc news, paris
I am absolutely devastated. Someone stole my inflatable giant sandworm right off my lawn sometime between last night and this afternoon. I didn’t notice if it was gone when I left for work this morning. I don’t know who would do such a thing.
quite a few people responded and almost every single person
answered with a variation of the same 3 words:
‘check the frats.’
—
living in a college town, and three weeks before halloween, this is great advice.
(it may just be me, but i think this would be a hard one to hide)
—
now that the kayaks, the canoes, and the rafts
have left the river for the season
everything feels calm and slow and beautiful
in the meditative quiet
of the occasional fly-fishers.
—
“many go fishing all their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after.”
~ henry david thoreau
pete’s glam shot
—
and just like that
in steps pete the cat
(i named him after my fav politician/good human, pete b.)
born memorial day weekend
found in the trunk of an old car in a barn
by faerie tales cat rescue
how could i not support a group with this name
how could i not choose this sweet guy to join our family
pete is a little shy right now and stepping out tiptoe-style
soon he’ll be prancing around
singing his song
in his white shoes
playing and bonding with olive.
both sweet and gentle cats
pete’s foster mom
said his hobbies are
watching tv, eating treats, and playing with feather toys
and
is the most affectionate cat she’s ever met
very similar to olive’s demeanor and minimalist athletic style
i see them as ‘soon to become best friends/siblings.’
—
-pete the cat
credits: pete the cat and his white shoes: eric litwin, james dean, harper collins publishing
quotes
A giant sequoia forest could soon be growing in a Detroit neighborhood. Arboretum Detroit, which owns and manages a system of parks in the Poletown East neighborhood, has plans to plant 200 giant sequoia trees on vacant land. The nonprofit has already planted about 20 of these fast-growing, carbon-eating trees around the neighborhood, but “we want to do a whole park,” said Andrew “Birch” Kemp, co-director and board president.
There are 100 sequoia seedlings planted at the organization’s nursery. The seedlings are watched over by one of the older sequoias. All 120 of the arboretum’s sequoias come from Archangel Ancient Tree Archive in Copemish.
“From the devastation of some of the worst pollution, they should be applauded,” David Milarch, founder of Archangel and a Detroit native, said of Arboretum Detroit. “We just provide the sequoias.” He estimates that, in 25 years, the seedlings will be 60 to 80 feet tall with trunks you can’t wrap your arms around.
Kemp picked them up last spring.“It was so hilarious, too, because we have a 2002 Subaru Outback and we were trying to fit 100 trees in there,” Kemp said. “They were successful in that effort and they were planted at the arboretum’s tree nursery. The hope is that the seedlings will be replanted at their permanent home by fall 2025. The arboretum is working to purchase the future forest land from Detroit Public Schools.” The city block is the former site of a school that has since been demolished.
After land is secured – whether it’s the school site or piecing together several parcels – the real work of park-building begins. That involves removing invasive species and trash, plus remediating the soil.“It’s like a sense of relief for the land,” Kemp said. New flora can be planted after the cleanup.
For this project, there will be 200 sequoias plus 200 native trees that would be interspersed. The sequoias, particularly good at scrubbing pollution, would be planted more “upwind” on the heavy pollution side with the natives downwind.The 20 older sequoias are about 4-5 feet tall with one coming in at 9 feet, proving they can thrive in Detroit.
“It will be something you can see and approach. They are going to live and do well.It’s unclear why sequoias are doing so well in Michigan, a climate that would usually be considered too cold for these trees. The natural range is the Sierra Nevada mountains’ western slopes, which is much warmer and dryer. Propagating trees like sequoias and redwoods is important, Milarch said, because they sequester 10 times more carbon dioxide than other trees. Only 4% of the world’s redwood and sequoia forests survive today.”
—
I didn't have my glasses on.... 