hey jud

Out for my basic exercise walk this morning, these shoe signs stopped me dead in my tracks. There they were on an official-looking post where I expected to see a traffic sign. Instead, firmly attached to the pole, were these colorful paintings of fantasy shoes with no clues to who might have put them there. I looked around for a new shoe store but nothing had miraculously appeared. I'm going to keep walking that way though, hoping to meet up with whoever this mystery shoe lover and kindred spirit might be.

Today is one of those blue-sky, pure-smell mornings that makes me sit down at the piano and play a song from my old Cat Stevens songbook. I love the song for its words and for its bits of complicated syncopation. Even though I don't sing out loud, I hear the words clearly in my head. 'Morning has broken, like the first morning, Blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing, Praise for the morning, Praise for them springing fresh from the world.' Of course you have to replace the blackbirds with pigeons, but you get the idea that it's a great morning.

Attention! In breaking news this post is being brought to you by cable modem.

That's right! At long last here in Charlestown we've got fast internet access. The successful installation was not without excitement however, requiring the cable guy and me to survive a small tidal wave. You see, to get access to the back yard, telephone pole and cable hookups you have to go out the back basement door. That would be the same door that leaks during every storm so we've covered over the stairs with some cardboard and plastic. It works perfectly for keeping out the rain, that is until you open the door. Since it was a warm, dry day I didn't suspect the pent up rain water waiting for me. It spread across the basement floor and filled half a bucket, but I got it mopped up about the same time the outside cable work was done. The rest of the installation was uneventful and here I am speeding along on the internet highway. Hoorah!