Conversation/Creak Monster Romance

Original Image Note: Lake Griffy, earlier on this year before the foliage busted out all over the place. I would like to go back down there now that it's more greened out but we'll see if that happens.

The creak that runs into the lake is just really beautiful, I love the color of it and with the colors of the slowly wakening forest it was beautiful. This is first of two images that go together titled, 'Creak Monster Romance', one of the top twenty places to take your creak monster sweat heart. A location that is sure to woe her and make her fall head over heels in love with you. This prime location is good for a number of reasons. Deeper water near by to hide from, a fair number of unsuspecting visitors around the water and in boats on the lake, and it includes a number of small water ways and marshy areas that are perfect for birthing baby creak monsters. The lake is also located in an area that contains large amounts of lime stone, a rock that creak monsters find quiet taste and is key in the growth of the young creak monsters after they are born.

V. Yes, the creek there on the right looks like prime territory. I like the green stuff and the way it ripples away in the distance.

J. I can just see a pair of googly eyes peeking up out of it, floating slowly closer to you.

Honey, is that a log?

Yes, of course dear what else would it be?

A few minutes later: It's moving towards us... are you sure there aren't any crocodiles in here?

Sweatheart we're in the middle of the United States for crying out-loud there are no crocodiles or alligators up here.

What... what about that movie?

What movie?

Lake Placid.

Dear, that was a movie nothing more. It's not real.

But that log... it really is getting closer.

Shall I poke it and roll it over for you? (rummages around for a stick) Will that make you feel better.

Honey it's got eyes!

Finds a stick: Of course it does dear (pulls on stick and it doesn't come up), just give me a minute over here. Wow that was one stubborn stick, I didn't think I was ever going to get it up. (finally managed to break the stick with a well placed hiking boot and a strong arm) Now, dear I'll show you it's just a... log.

conversation/Rainbow Waters of China

V. Oooh, how mysterious. I suppose it's something for hauling stone? Out of a quarry? But wait! What is that long hose thing that's being held up by three little beige benches!? Mysteries abound!

J. I think it's a run off from the plant into the hole. But I'm not really sure, I didn't get any closer to the water it was creepy.

V. Yeah, looks kind of creepy and maybe dangerous to go out too close to the edge there.

J. The water was all frosty and glazed over but some times the color was a little odd. It was quiet like something might come bursting out of it and gobble you up.

V. Oh hoho. I know what you mean... That suspicious color that looks a little too chemical... might harbor some radioactive beastie with glowing tentacles...!

J. Yeah, exactly that odd color. Like the bright green lakes in the middle of nowhere... I'll have to stop and take pictures the next time I see one of those. I think the home owners have made made lakes and add chemicals to them to keep the algae from growing. They are the oddest color.

V. Yeah, I think they have lots of those in Florida! Reminds me of a news snippet I saw about blue water pollution in China from blue-jeans factories... Hmmm...

J. Is the water the same color from the pollution or does it just tie in?

V. ust ties in, I guess. The water turns blue, like jeans...

J. And then when you start getting into colored jeans you get some really interesting stuff.

V. Mmm, yes... The "rainbow waters" of China. We could make a whole tourist trade out of it.

J. Ahahha, the new eight wonder of the word. Go for a swim and you might find yourself cured and able to walk again or you might find that you have a few extra feet and three legs instead of two. It's a gamble and so many people would go for it.

This conversation was conducted on DeviantArt between my friend vanilla-vanilla and myself krazysidhe. For it and other conversations feel free to hunt around, we hope you’ve enjoyed today’s installment.

conversation/The Ranks of the Ghost Squirrels

V. Squirrel? Looks like ghost of squirrel past.

J. Ah you know how those ghostly squirrels are, they just never got away and they are always chattering but you can't quiet hear them. So most people dismiss the noise as nothing but really... it's the ghosts of all those squirrels that get run over every year, they come back with a vengeance. But unfortunately their imaginary nuts, just really don't have much impact on the people or the cars that they throw them at. Thus you end up with a lot of frustrated vengeful squirrels. Eventually they get rather tired of running around neighborhoods and play chicken with the cars that killed them in the first place--after all dead ghostly squirrels really aren't that much smarter then living squirrels--they migrate slowly into the more wooded areas. They live in communes together in the forests and eventually one by one they fade. However, there is always more of them to replace the others--rather like the rabbits. After all they breed like bunnies there are always more of them... living or dead!

V. Oho, this is why there always seem to be more and more squirrels everywhere! Like my back yard, where they keep forgetting where they buried the nuts, so they have to look everywhere... Maybe you'll run across a squirrel commune when you have your camera. After you take that picture of new batteries.

J. Ah but did you know the real reason that they forgot where their nuts where? That's because all of the ghost squirrels, confuse the living squirrels so much that they can't find their nuts. Because the dead ones know where they are but they are so frustrated that they can't eat the nuts--they can't even dig them up poor things. That they usually decide that if they can't have the nuts then those who can actually eat them sure as hell aren't getting a hold of any nuts.

V. Oh! I saw one yesterday afternoon. I was driving, and this tiny little juvenile squirrel darted into the middle of a busy street, then sat looking wildly about and turning in circles as cars zoomed in all directions, and ghost squirrels tried to pummel it with nuts...

J. Poor little squirrel, he so did not know what hit him. I can just hear all of the ghost squirrels cackling from the side walks. Because after they're dead they are much smarter and quiet a bit nastier. At least most of them. I'm sure somewhere there is the few lonely little ghost squirrels who try and do good but their voices aren't heard over the chatter of the others.

The second photograph has been edited by vanilla-vanilla. This conversation was carried out via DeviantArt, by my friend vanilla-vanilla and myself. Feel free to browse around this conversation and for others which may or may not appear here at a future date. I hope your day/evening is a good one.

conversation/The Pine Tree Guru's and Urban Foraging

V. Something nice and "crispy" about this picture, too. Hair of the beast that ate most of the thing that now lies beneath the snow?

J. Ah but you see, it's vestiges of the weeds from the back of the creek monsters. In the snow and the ice he can make it just that far away from the creek. However, what he didn't realize is that he sluffed off some of his concealing creek weed on the fence along the way.
Or perhaps it's simply the little creatures who live in fences. They snuck down to the creak in the brightest light of the day--for that's what creek monsters are slowest of course at least in winter--and carefully plucked creek weed from the back of the creek monster so as to frame him for that which lies beneath the snow. However, little do they know what all that lies beneath the snow is dead grass and nothing at all incriminating. So, instead of framing the creek monsters as they wish, because he enjoys snacking on the little creatures who live in fences when he can't get hiker.

V. Ah, your folklore is getting richer, now populated with more little creatures... with ulterior motives!

J. Conflicting interests. But the poor little guys who live in the fence really must talk to the air headed creatures who live in the pine trees. You know sniffing those pine fumes all day, that's really the best way to figure out what it's all about.

V. !! I love it. Wow... Pine fumes. Hmm, reminds me of teenage years... Hmmm. I feel a picture coming on...

J. Climbing pine trees and getting the sap stuck all over your hands and never being able to get it off. Though it did smell rather nice.

V. Ah, haven't done that for years. Near where I lived as a kid was a row of 5 or 6 enormous fir trees and we'd often climb into them, way up near the top, where you sway back and forth in the wind. Sometimes pretty scary; great views.

J. Yeah, pine trees can be great. I used to climb mango trees over seas, they had a similar sappy problem. But when left they could get ginormous, and made the best climbing trees. Sometimes on the biggest ones we couldn't get up the trucks so we'd pull down the lower branches and climb up them. Mango's aren't overly strong but they bend quiet a lot before they break.

V. Oh, now I have to find a mango tree to climb!

J. You really should. Though I'm not sure how much luck you will have finding one in this country.

V. Yeah, I don't think I've seen one, but maybe in Hawaii...

J. I think you would in Hawaii, though I can't remember seeing one when I was there. That would be closer to the right climate though. Maybe it's like most fruit trees they don't tend to grow them in the cities or populated area's because of the fruit mess. I haven't been much outside of Honolulu, in a while.

V. Heheh, yes, the fruit mess. People around the neighborhood here tend to have orange and lemon and olive trees, and then instead of eating the fruit, they let it rain down and rot on the ground... I had an apricot tree that died a few years back, but when it fruited, it gave the best apricots in the whole wide world.

J. Yeah, I never understood the idea of having a fruit tree and not at least eating or using some of it. I know a number of people around here who have apple trees and they do that. We had a neighbor who had one and we'd made tones of apple sauce every year because she didn't want the apples. I can understand having more then you can use yourself but to just let it all sit there.

V. I also have an apple tree, in front by the driveway. The fruit isn't very good really, and we only eat a few each year... But not because it falls and rots. It never gets as far as falling or rotting. People come by in the middle of the night and steal it! Once last summer, I woke up in the middle of the night to some sound out front, and when I cracked the blinds to look, it was interesting. For half an hour I watched a woman with a flashlight going around the tree, picking apples and stuffing them into a bag. When it was full, she departed. Another time in the dead of night, I saw a family of people stop their car, all jump out, pick a bunch of apples, then pile back in and drive off. Jeez-o. If they really need the apples, they're welcome to them!

J. Urban foraging. There is a map floating around of this city and where the fruit trees and berry buses are in town. Someone on one of the groups I'm on was complaining about urban foraging, that because of the amount of it, people aren't leaving anything for the local wild life to eat.

V. Wow. I feel like a total dolt! It never even occurred to me. I guess it goes on here, too: [link] I guess my "old home town" Berkeley is a hot-bed of this activity. Who knew? Ha ha, maybe this is why all the 'possums have disappeared. But the squirrels and crows seem to do well here with all the oranges. The back fence is always littered with orange peels dropped by plump squirrels who eat the innards and leave the husk.

J. *chuckles* It's rather interesting. For instance I wouldn't have thought about all of the smaller urban animals that rely on that as a food source. I was reading a conversation going on between some of the members of the local Permaculture group (email), [link] [link]

The second photograph has been edited by vanilla-vanilla. This conversation was carried out via DeviantArt, by my friend vanilla-vanilla and myself. Feel free to browse around this conversation and for others which may or may not appear here at a future date. I hope your day/evening is a good one.