Maggots
Mt Katahdin
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Wednesday is MattÃs night to cook dinner and he usually barbeques on our dubious gas grill. Tonight he invited Robby to help and they both ate Boca Burgers as they waited for the chicken to cook.
Earlier they had to toss out a box of meal moth infested Rice Pilaf.
At the dinner table:
Robby. ìI ate maggots once.î
Matt glanced over at Robby, ìNice.î
Me. ìMost of the world eats bugs.î
Robby. ìWhen I got through eating I wasnÃt bothered at all. I guess it means I donÃt mind eating bugs.
I thought, great dinner conversation.
Me. ìWhen are we going to Gilsum next? We canÃt this weekend and next weekend is AnnieÃs Bat Mitzvah. How about the weekend after that?î
Matt. ìSure.î
We usually leave at 3PM, after his shift at SkipÃs, but with the sun setting at 6 in those hills….
Me. ìYou should call in sick on that Saturday.î
Diane. ìHe canÃt call in sick.î
Me.à Tell Skip you canÃt work that weekend.î
Diane. ìThatÃs different, thatÃs not calling in sick.î
Robby. ìBut calling in sick is the only way heÃll be sure of getting the
day off.î
Me. ìIÃll bring one of my new lanterns so you can have light at your camp site.î
Matt. ìWeÃll build a big fire; we wonÃt need more light.î
Me. ìYour fires are so big the earth doesnÃt need the sun.î
Matt, deadpan. ìGood one, dad.î
Matthew purees me and all I can do is laugh. The kind of laugh that speaks to how narrow the margins have become. I would have gotten away with that six weeks ago.
Matt. ìNo, really, I meant it.î
Me. ëYeah, IÃm sure you did.î
Beautiful image. Nice foreground touch, elevating it above most calendar art.
Wonderful series of conversational vignettes as well. The flavors of a day in Casa Miller, Wacton, come through sparklingly.
Where the hell is everybody?
Comment by adam — October 16, 2003 @ 7:49 am
I’d crop that damned ugly leaf out of the foreground. I’m also curious how Matt compares boca burgers to tender beef on buttered white bread.
Comment by ansell — October 16, 2003 @ 1:29 pm
Ignore the crackpots.
Comment by DavidHumeKennerly — October 16, 2003 @ 8:21 pm
I like the leaf myself. The picture wouldn’t be the same without it. Isn’t it possible that the master lake photographer himself composed that leaf right into the picture for a (good) reason?
Leave that leaf alone!
Comment by rackity ed — October 17, 2003 @ 5:56 pm
Well put, Rackity! What Adam alluded to — makes the shot. And touche on the suspicion of digital intervention — care to respond, oh photog?
Comment by seconder — October 17, 2003 @ 7:10 pm
First, it is hard to respond to anyone named Rackity without laughing.
Secondly, from my reading there is only one suspicious soul who believes deft digital digits manipulated this masterpiece. Only a nut or a crackpot (Kennerly thinks Ansell is more wisecracker than crackpot), would crop out that fortuitously floating fragment of foliage.
Personally, I am stunned and delighted at the quality of the photos I found on my camera. There are many more to come.
And, Adam, I’d love to see yours.
Comment by Photog — October 18, 2003 @ 7:25 am