Friday, January 29, 2010

Brokeback pickup


The neighbor who insists all things LGBT shock and appall him tells me (regularly) that I've ruined his appreciation of the aesthetics of our neighborhood by pointing out that another neighbor's newest lawn ornament is the spitting image of the truck Jack Twist was driving as the 2005 film "Brokeback Mountain" opened. Now, he says, He can't look up the street without being reminded of that film.

Actually, the match is not that close. The Brokeback pickup was black; the neighborhood model, an interesting mix of red and gray (but no rust). And it runs. It took a Christmas tree to the community brush pile and now is loaded with downed limbs dating from the ice storm a week ago during which this photo was taken.

Nash acquires vintage vehicles now and then; tinkers with them for a while in the best shade tree mechanic tradition and then they go away. My favorite was a 1952 Chevrolet in two shades of blue that was a spitting image, too --- of the first family car I remember. Only difference: ours was four-door; his, two-door. That vehicle has long since moved on.

The Brokeback pickup, however, gives me a chance to cause minor trouble and get the neighbor's blood circulating. So that's good. We all need ways to entertain ourselves on these winter days. And it's too darned cold!

+++

The bishop's visit Sunday went off without a hitch, as did the baptism that occurred during it --- on a crisp clear day that followed a major melt that turned the church drive into a swamp and preceded Monday's surprise blizzard that for the most part closed the whole state down. An inspiring late-afternoon service followed by lots of good food and fellowship.

It's bitter again this morning and we're getting clouds related to the big storm moving through farther south --- but no precipitation and that's a good thing.

I'm off to a good start, too, remembering that it is Friday and that this is garbage pick-up day --- something I forgot last week. That involves rolling the garbage can out to the curb before 9 a.m., not a big deal but something I sometimes overlook unless I look out the front windows and remember the significance of those other garbage cans marching up and down the street in brown plastic formation.

Fortunately, we have the best refuse removal company in the whole world at work here --- always on time shortly after 9 a.m., always pick up what spills and when I forget, one of the guys comes up the drive, grabs the bags out of the can and takes them away any way. Can't beat that!

1 comment:

Ed said...

Don't know how many times I've had to turn around when I noticed the garbage cans that everyone but me has sitting out at the end of their drives. Fortunately, I don't produce much garbage so even if I miss a week, I can go another couple weeks before I reach my limit of two bags.