Friday, July 11, 2008

The Shape of Things to Come




Finding this lovely little vehicle surrounded by behemoths made me run back to the car for my camera. Right now these are a cause for pointing and comment, but eventually they will be normal.

Now if I'd just had my camera yesterday on the way home from work when four lanes of traffic were stopped by a slow, single file procession of a dozen Canada geese... They were perfectly spaced and walked so slowly I imagined it had been rehearsed to music. It looked like a moving Egyptian frieze. They completely ignored the cars. I let out a gleeful whoop and clapped my hands over my head. "You great feathered ninnyhammers! So who really owns this pavement, eh?" Around me other drivers, also stopped for the minute or so it took to complete the crossing, were grinning at each other, shaking their heads, and being put in different moods.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is a great contrast photo. The world is changing. Thank goodness.

I love how you describe that interlude where nature reminds us that it's their planet, too.

Steve Emery said...

Thanks, DCup.

As we take more and more of the countryside and turn it into office park and suburb, the animals are learning to stake their claims. The geese spend a lot of time grazing our office complex (and leaving bright green play-do extrusions all over the sidewalks). The earthworms seem to thrive on the well fertilized grass margins (they also cover the sidewalks every time it rains). Coyotes roam the highway corridors and pray on domestic cats, feral or otherwise. Red tailed hawks also frequent the highway margins, where prey is easy to see, and where an occasional free meal is handed out by a passing car. Crow families walk the office complex lawns, like a line of privates picking up cigarette butts, but what they are actually doing is herding the grasshoppers in ever thickening clouds in front of them until they tire the big insects out and they're easier to catch. We've created a new, weird ecosystem.

DebD said...

I enjoying watching those little cars tool around town. Hubby and I enjoy driving one when we were in Portugal. Loads of fun.

rebecca said...

i just saw one myself in my neighborhood the other day, had to take a second look. well, given the price of gas, this will become a norm. a fellow blogger who lives in england said they are paying $15 a gallon there! no wonder these cars ARE the norm over there! and soon we will be following suit.

btw, i browsed thru your gallery. what great artwork you have there! i most especially liked The Storm. i love your use of colors and, being a cat person myself, did appreciate all of your cat-inspired ones.... all of them, absolutely beautiful.

Steve Emery said...

DebD and Rebecca - Thanks to you both for commenting. I can't wait to see more of these on the roads, and I'd love to try one myself. I hope they are safe in a crash, though, with our big SUVs. I imagine in England that the number of high/huge vehicles is limited, making these safer.