Being Creative

From an article in the NYT Sunday Mag on scientist Freeman Dyson, quoting his family:  All six Dysons describe eventful childhoods with people like Feynman coming by for meals.  Their father, meanwhile, was always preaching the virtues of boredom: “Being bored is the only time you are creative” was his thinking." 

I've been espousing this theory ever since we moved to the Vineyard, but haven't achieved that delightful and necessary state yet.

Another famous guy, Pascal, always stayed in bed until noon and claimed that was the secret of being creative. I haven't gotten there, either, yet.

Of course, these make marvelous excuses for my not having done anything worthwhile in a long time...

Again, A Crow

  I continue to watch and (mostly) admire crows. There are many of them around our home, especially at the backyard bird feeder. They're too large to sit on one of the feeder's pegs, so they hang around the base of the pole, finding seeds that smaller birds have dropped.

To watch a crow in action, check out this short video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RPHxA8-aaEffeature-related.

If that doesn't work, go to Youtube and type in Crows in the search field. Lots of material there.

Kaw! Kaw! Kaw!

Maltese Falcon

Haven't seen THE MALTESE FALCON in many years, just watched it today and had this thought. The plot is set in motion by The Woman's (Mary Astor) many lies to Sam Spade (H. Bogart), and at the end he turns her in because he can't trust her to be faithful to him. She's a woman used to manipulating and using males.

What if she had told him the truth from the beginning? There wouldn't have been a mystery and no movie and etc.

But what kind of trustworthy lover is Spade? He had an adulterous affair with his partner's wife, and calls every attractive woman endearing names: sweetheart, etc. And his reason for turning in his sometimes lover is "When a man's business partner gets murdered he has to do something."

Treachery for a treacherous time or universal truths? 

River

River is his name. He's just 5 years old. His life before he came to us was (1) sterling Seeing Eye trainee, and (2) in the breeding pen, living the Hugh Hefner lifestyle.

After fathering many great pups, he was neutered and offered to us as a keeper. He is, definitely, a keeper.

Mostly he dogs Penny's steps: whither thou goest, there goest I. But in the morning he comes to my side of the bed, nudges me and encourages me to give him a good ear and back rub. Sometimes if I'm sitting quietly watching tv or reading, he comes to me and asks for some attention. He may be asking to be taken out for a run.

Great dog.