Shrouded Shore: The Many Musings of Thom Singleton

  Legos “Lego” used to be said, while two boys were wrestling around), as in “Le’go of me!” Now it’s Legos, an ingenious, plastic construction system of small parts able to be joined together that youthful builders hope won’t “le’go.” It is a fun endeavor for my grandsons, aged 5 and 8. The boys fill whole tabletops with Legos, and piece together forms. human and otherwise, as well as all manner of vehicles and buildings. It’s fun for them, and, I admit, for this grandpa, too. 

  What My Brother Taught Me To bridge the fear of difference with love To respect differences To give empathy To persevere despite challenges To make peace To know that home is where the heart is

  Mid-Summer Days A baby rabbit gets bigger, eating the blossoms off the clover. Lazy, nebulous clouds drift slowly overhead. The huge cottonwood flickers its leaves in the breeze. The waterfall in our tiny pond does its best impression of Niagara Falls. Grass grows and grows, so gleaming the green. Hummingbirds do their helicopter impression at the sugar feeder. A pair of fawns frolic at the edge of the wood, leaving concern for danger to their mom. Robins commandeer the jelly feeder, though an oriole gets in a quick peck. Millet plants grow quickly and thickly, sprouted from seeds dropped by the winged diners. Birds of all types splash in the bird bath to cool off and preen their feathers. A hawk appears in the sky high above our tallest spruce, circling in a heightening gyre. Clouds, hoping to prove the weather forecaster’s rain prediction, start to appear in the west. The baby rabbit continues its quest to ingest every white clover blossom in our meadow. This writer better put ...

  Our Son, Keith Keith is a rock-solid man, as durable as the boats and buildings he’s built. He also has an artistic flair, drawing-out the beauty of any material, in stunning fashion, Such as the live-edge furniture he built for us, and the remodel of our bathroom. Keith is a serious-minded craftsman/artist, but also a playful man. His humor is best seen in his building and racing a funny boat in a funny boat competition. Doing so recently with his boys, Kai and Connor, they took home several prizes With a boat with large eyes, platypus bill, and flat hat.  Not only did they build it in the fastest time, they raced it across Sturgeon Bay taking 3rd place. What a team, led by a great Dad, Keith!   

  Wildfire Smoke Exits The smoke from Canadian wildfires is finally blowing back north. We in Wisconsin have awaited today’s southerly gusts for over a week. I like Canada, and its normally pure air, but climate change - lack of rain there - has caused breathing problems for its southerly neighbor. May we work together to thwart climate change.  

  Fun Boats On Sturgeon Bay yesterday, boats built Saturday were raced in the Bay. Teams of mostly two built them of thin plywood. Thankfully the wind was light so any waves the boats withstood. There was one, a double-hulled catamaran with emphasis on the “cat,” For on each hull sat a big, fabricated feline.. A low rowboat was named the Monitor, for it resembled the Monitor of yore. And in the next stall was the Swedish Meatball, which looked more like a pizza. Our son and grandsons built one resembling a cartoon. It was a big-eyed platypus with a rudder-like projection at, of all places, the bow,   If this platypus could talk, he’d certainly stutter. Some ten boats in all miraculously avoided sinking, including one that held two Vikings, And another that resembled a large building. Awards in the end were presented with the audience gawking, Which were made of a small trophy atop a tube of caulking. Our team - Keith, Kai, and Connor - placed well in the standings: First ...