Found Object

I picked this thing up on a god forsaken stretch of litter strewn desert. I'd stopped to let the dogs have a chance to do whatever they needed to do, and I saw this and thought 'firewood'. When I got it home it began to acquire a certain artistic quality. It must have been nailed to a wall somewhere. Someone's objet d'art. Can't decide whether I should reconsign it to the firewood pile or find it a dignified corner to preside in mystery.

I'm flying to Portland tomorrow for Thanksgiving. I should be packing but it's too difficult. I know it's cold and rainy there, but I don't want to lug a lot of heavy stuff around.

My dear friend's dog is dying. I am quite sure of this, but she keeps spending more and more money she doesn't have on vets who won't tell her he is dying and I hope he isn't, but it is hard to know what to say because I think the dog is suffering. He is a wonderful dog. When she drove the night employee bus for the casino she saw him skulking, and it took days until she was able to catch him and clean him up and make him healthy. There's something about the spirit of a good dog that never leaves the human who loves that dog. Or so I tell myself.

We welcomed a new Buddhist in our midst today. I must admit a pang when I saw how this man was especially welcomed by the Roche. Then I reminded myself that like it or not it IS a man's world, and few men come to the Zendo. That was a great TV series, 'It's a Man's World'. It only ran half a season about half a century ago, but I still remember it.