Greetings, wanderer,
You should not lie about the whereabouts of birds. If you were to tell me now that you had seen the grey cranes I should not know whether to believe you.
I know nothing about the tuna. Am I to understand that you wish me to pretend to your daughter that I have eaten it myself? I assure you this is not the case. I suspect you know what has happened to the tuna. And where is the lettuce?
Until our next communication,
Gaius Plinius Secundus
*****************
Dear Pliny,
I have posted some tuna to our house could you please check the letterbox on Friday. The lettuce is OUTSIDE! I thought you knew.
No I have not seen any grey cranes but I saw an osprey nest up a pole, with an osprey in it. We were on the way to Ballina. Here they are called the Birds of the Gods. Yesterday we walked to the Wardell cemetery. It is all white sand there which looks like snow. Some of the graves are nothing but heaps of sand with plastic flowers on top. They do not blow away in the wind, which is miraculous. Today we are going to Byron Bay.
Yours,
The Wanderer
Showing posts with label tuna. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tuna. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
To Pliny the Elder
Dear Pliny,
It is very pretty here. There are many sorts of birds outside my bedroom window. For example parakeets and galahs, and bush turkeys with yellow wattles. The last is not true. The bush turkeys were back at Tweed Heads.
There are horses and paddocks and a creek of clear black water and grass and well kept gardens. There is a mannikin dressed as a fisherman in sunnies.
We had pies for dinner last night from the new pie shop. Followed by apple cream puffs. After I ate my cream puff Emmy ( a dog ) licked my hand.
Today I am going to listen out for grey cranes, and visit Ballina.
I hope you found the lettuce.
PS My daughter thinks there might be a tin of tuna in the pantry . If you see her please explain to her why there is not.
It is very pretty here. There are many sorts of birds outside my bedroom window. For example parakeets and galahs, and bush turkeys with yellow wattles. The last is not true. The bush turkeys were back at Tweed Heads.
There are horses and paddocks and a creek of clear black water and grass and well kept gardens. There is a mannikin dressed as a fisherman in sunnies.
We had pies for dinner last night from the new pie shop. Followed by apple cream puffs. After I ate my cream puff Emmy ( a dog ) licked my hand.
Today I am going to listen out for grey cranes, and visit Ballina.
I hope you found the lettuce.
PS My daughter thinks there might be a tin of tuna in the pantry . If you see her please explain to her why there is not.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Puisque les Odeurs....
We had tuna subs for lunch. The tuna oozed out of the sides and all over our faces and hands. We carried an odour of tuna with us into the Elder Hall.
No one would have noticed. For the Elder Hall was redolent of fumigants and farts. I'm not saying these could be attributed to any one in particular.
There should have been a scent of roses and violets. Rosalind Martin was to sing some lovely old French songs.
Old French songs are weird though. When you read the words, they aren't as lovely as you think.
No one would have noticed. For the Elder Hall was redolent of fumigants and farts. I'm not saying these could be attributed to any one in particular.
There should have been a scent of roses and violets. Rosalind Martin was to sing some lovely old French songs.
Old French songs are weird though. When you read the words, they aren't as lovely as you think.
The thief of the cheese is not here.... I should like to sew but a magnet attracts all my needles.... My corpse is as limp as a glove....
When your breath is stopped by astonishment there is nowhere for bad odours to go.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Compelling
Compulsory? said Pliny the Elder. Didn't you mean compelling?
No, I meant compulsory. People stopped in their tracks on the pavement. There were people pointing excitedly on seats. A man stopped in front of us and told us that dolphins were amazing creatures. I remember thinking, What am I doing here?
Very existential, remarked Pliny. Do I take it you are not really fond of dolphins?
Not overly, I replied. No more than of tuna. I remember reading once that dolphins were
capable of being rather nasty. Or was it whales?
No, said Pliny, dolphins do sometimes behave badly. I have heard that they kill porpoises and even sometimes kill their own young.
Chacun a son gout, I said philosophically, but the thing is, I wasn't pleased to realise that I felt under a compulsion to stop and watch it play, or try to catch its dinner, or whatever it was doing.
Free will is an illusion, said Pliny, wisely. I have been reading your library book, 13 Things That Don't Make Sense, and one of the Things is free will. They've discovered that our brain gives out readiness signals a good half second before we make a conscious decision to act.
Yes, it makes sense, I said. Otherwise how would we ever get out of bed in the morning? But on the other hand, I wasn't totally convinced that this wipes out free will. It may just be a combination of habit and our brain's efficiency. I'd like to see them test it on a baby.
Good point, said Pliny. By the way, where is that book? I was looking for it this morning.
Oh sorry, I had to take it back to the library, it was overdue.
Couldn't you get an extension?
No, they wouldn't let me, it had already been reserved by someone else.
No, I meant compulsory. People stopped in their tracks on the pavement. There were people pointing excitedly on seats. A man stopped in front of us and told us that dolphins were amazing creatures. I remember thinking, What am I doing here?
Very existential, remarked Pliny. Do I take it you are not really fond of dolphins?
Not overly, I replied. No more than of tuna. I remember reading once that dolphins were
capable of being rather nasty. Or was it whales?
No, said Pliny, dolphins do sometimes behave badly. I have heard that they kill porpoises and even sometimes kill their own young.
Chacun a son gout, I said philosophically, but the thing is, I wasn't pleased to realise that I felt under a compulsion to stop and watch it play, or try to catch its dinner, or whatever it was doing.
Free will is an illusion, said Pliny, wisely. I have been reading your library book, 13 Things That Don't Make Sense, and one of the Things is free will. They've discovered that our brain gives out readiness signals a good half second before we make a conscious decision to act.
Yes, it makes sense, I said. Otherwise how would we ever get out of bed in the morning? But on the other hand, I wasn't totally convinced that this wipes out free will. It may just be a combination of habit and our brain's efficiency. I'd like to see them test it on a baby.
Good point, said Pliny. By the way, where is that book? I was looking for it this morning.
Oh sorry, I had to take it back to the library, it was overdue.
Couldn't you get an extension?
No, they wouldn't let me, it had already been reserved by someone else.
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