Shrouded Shore: The Many Musings of Thom Singleton

  Motion Lights Our house is ringed by them, installed by the former owner, a single woman. When one goes on at night, I look out the window, and, sure enough, I see animals - deer, racoons, ‘possum - or sometimes, nothing. It must be a shock to whomever or whatever hurried to the shadows to avoid my eavesdropping. If it’s a ‘who,’ the trespasser should be exposed. If it’s a ‘what,’ they’re just trying to make a living foraging by night. The animals are so much safer to do so when it’s dark, rather than when the big, blazing motion light - our Sun - is out.   

  The Tao of Snow I attempt to say what the Tao is But, as Taoists say, if you define it, the Tao is not it The Tao is the indefinite, or, perhaps, the infinite. It is all there is in every moment It is the light I see around the drapes It is not just the streetlight, but the glow The glow from the light reflected on the snow The hazy light of falling snowflakes Snowflakes in the wind, in the tree branches, on the ground First snowflakes on the yearling deer in the yard Deer who don’t know what to make of it First snow for them First snow of the season for us Oh, and the Tao is the shovel, too

  Life, a Miracle! A man, a woman, a baby! Heart beat, breath, awareness! Feeling, learning, growing! Intelligence, emotion, expression! Communication, attraction, love! It’s all a miracle!

  August A name of many descriptors… Awe-inspiring Magnificent  Worthy of great respect Grand and glorious Noble Eminent Distinguished A name for our five-year-old grandson to aspire to Once he knows what some of these words mean  

  A River of Friends The trail on the river today was a river of friends. First a big dog Quasimodo, and, walking him, our neighbor Jude. Then Patti’s friend from church. Finally the couple with the unmistakable hats, Marsha and Al. Today we did more talking than walking, but we had a lot of fun.  

  Lost in Idioms I’m looking for you. Where are you? Are you… On your feet or on your knees? On the fence or on the move? On the beam or on the blink? On pins and needles or on your way? On the ball or on the ropes? On the run or on the warpath? On the mend or on the outs? On top or on the bench? On your good behavior or on your high horse? On the way or on hold? On the bandwagon or on the QT? On the road or on the lam? On your back or on the alert? On the fly or on the rocks? On the dot or on the loose? On the double or on your last legs? You’re not on the job,  So soon you’ll be called on the carpet!

  Our Suns Suns? A misspelling or a play on words? Or something greater, brighter? Yes! Our sons are like suns to us. For, as the Sun provides light and life to Earth, Our sons share their brilliance and heart with us. It is warming to us for them not only to help us  With the work of owning a home, But also to anticipate when their assistance is needed And offer to do so. They say “love you,” but also show it by their kind help. We are grateful for such fine suns.

  Their Meadow Meal First course - salad, red clover, tall buckthorn Next course - cob corn, sweet cob corn, gold cob corn Dessert course - apples, ripe apples, green apples “They” are the deer herd that eat here what grows here And what neighbors give them - green apples and corn

  Yearlings Yearling deer have little fear Compared to their mother Today I went to fill the bird feeder And came upon one I did not bother He gazed at me but did not run Until what I was doing I got done Then left awhile until I made a pile A pile of birdseed for the Big Birds He must have gotten the word out For two of his pals came on out Followed by the rest of the herd Today I counted six more deer Who again showed little fear Until the buck appeared Then, white tails up, they disappeared While the buck gleaned the rest of the seed The Big Bird seed

  The Flow of Love A relationship is a wellspring, an upwelling of attraction and heartfelt sharing, an outpouring of pure love. For some it will flow unencumbered like a river, the river of life. That is not to say that the stream is free of rocks and rapids, sandbars and shallows. Careful navigation, though, will prevail if attention is paid, each to the other, so both can go with the flow. The river exists as life’s learning, and the navigators will ultimately arrive together at the river mouth, and gain i mmersion in the vastness of the sea of love.   

  Answers to yesterday’s riddle:   What “walks” on its back?  A baby kicking its legs. Then on all-fours?  The baby crawling. Then on just two?  Now a child. Then on three? Much older, walking with a cane. Or maybe four? Walking with two canes. Then, as some say, sprouts wings? At the end, flies like an angel.  

  A Riddle (For the answer see tomorrow’s blog) What “walks” on its back? Then on all-fours? Then on just two? Then on three? Or, maybe, four? Then, as some say, sprouts wings?