Posted in animals, zoo

Baby elephants

Posted on by William Douthwaite

We usually go to a zoo when we visit the grandchildren in Dallas. The Dallas Zoo isn’t far but the Fort Worth zoo is an hour’s drive. Since it had been a few years, we made the longer drive with a van full of unusually quiet grands occupied with their books.

The zoo’s entrance announced the newest additions: a baby elephant! Since he was only a month old, he was only on exhibit for a few hours each day. So we headed there first.

It was worth the drive. Sam Houston was born on April 1, weighing in at 285 pounds. He didn’t wander far from his mama, Bluebell, pausing frequently to nurse. 8 month-old Lady Bird was wandering around with her parent, too.

Elephant Springs is a fantastic zoo habitat. These endangered Asian elephants have a safe place to live, wander, and reproduce. I could just stand and watch them for a long, long time.

Posted in selling

Going, going, gone

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

I’ve been selling stuff I don’t need online, which can be profitable or creepy. Yesterday’s sales were entertaining.

Each buyer responded to my listing, agreed to the price, and stopped by a bit later in the day.

I watched out the window as a silver pickup truck stopped in the street. Two young ladies jumped out and I met them in the driveway. One said, “I’m here for the pack-and-play.”

“Sure. Do you want to see it put together.”

“No. Did my mom pay you for it?”

“No, she didn’t.”

She poked at her phone. “What the hell?” I tried not to listen to the whole conversation. “It’s a good thing I’ve got cash with me!”

After pushing her phone into her pocket she said, “How much?”

“Twenty.”

She handed me a twenty, loaded up the pack-and-play, and they drove off.

I texted the mom: “You owe your daughter twenty bucks.”

She replied, “I cash-apped the money to her. She’s a monster!”

I just chuckled. I thought, “I should have told her mom it was forty.”

A few minutes later, another pickup appeared to pick up a stand-mounted circle light that many use for social media.

“Here for the light?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

I walked it out to him. I had posted pictures of it working, but I asked, “Want me to plug it in for you?”

He chuckled, “No. This doesn’t look like the kind of house that would scam me for a few bucks,” and handed me $15.

As he drove off, I said, “This is fun. This is the way it’s supposed to be.”

It’s not always like this. Some inquiring buyers stupidly low offers. Others want to mess with payment methods. Like I’m an idiot. I’ll negotiate. A little. Cash in person. Period.

Posted in dogs, security

Intruder alert

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“Person walking by on the street. Do not approach the house. Keep moving.”

The robotic voice jolted me out of my early morning walk meditation. I look up as I pass an ordinary house. Nothing special about it. No reason to think anyone would want to break in. Yet they have a state of the art security system to deter the likes of me, a suspicious man walking a dog down the street.

That door-to-door security system salesman who tried to convince me our neighborhood was rife with break-ins must have gotten through to these folks. They purchased all the camera, sensor, light, and voice alert options.

I wonder, does their phone ping for every dog-walker, delivery, cat, truck, and squirrel who pass the driveway? That would drive me crazy. After a while, I’d turn it off. Which would negate the benefit of having a security system, right?

The next time that voice threatens me, I’m going to stand at the foot of their driveway, next to my Great Dane (my security detail) and just stare. Maybe I’ll talk back. Something like, “You’re scared of me?” Then I’ll look at the dog, then look back and say, “You should be!”

Posted in music, recycling

Bent, broken, recycled?

Posted on by William Douthwaite

Two music stands. Foldable, black metal. One was folded up wrong. Other than that, in good, usable condition.

I wonder how much use they got? They were purchased with an instrument and the best of intentions. Learn how to play, practice, get good, and then who knows?

Maybe they did. Maybe they got real good. Leveled up. Bought better, heavier metal music stands. Better instruments. Better gigs. A career.

A more likely scenario: a few lessons, no practice, instrument slid under the bed. Years later, someone asks, “Why do we have these music stands? can we put them out with the trash?”

Does anyone keep track of how many of these stands are sold and how many are actually used? AI claims there’s no data, but the design lends itself to ending up in the back of many closets. Until it’s carried to the curb.

I hope someone picked it up. I should have. I didn’t notice how usable they were. I could have sold it or given it to someone. I hope it didn’t end up as scrap metal in a junk yard.

Posted in animals, garden

Bunnies

Posted on by William Douthwaite

As I weeded around the palm tree in the front garden, I was startled by two small creatures who darted out from under some ornamental grass. At first, I thought they were rats. My neighbor had rats. Now they’re in my yard?

They ran out from under the grass up onto the front porch, where I saw they were baby bunnies! No bigger than an avocado, they scurried off to hide behind a vertical welcome sign by the front door. I couldn’t seem them trembling, but I know they were scared to death.

Mama bunny often scurries out of the front gardens when I come out the front door. She’s been getting braver, working her way further in to plants she finds appetizing. I saw her today, by the fence gate. Had she taught her little ones where to go, what to eat, and how to run and hide?

Posted in neighbor, neighborhood

He’s painting his windows!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

It’s six-thirty am. It’s just light enough to see. And what I see is my favorite neighbor painting his windows. That’s right, he’s painting his windows with a very small roller and a pan of paint.

Go back and read that again. He’s painting his windows.

You’ve read about my favorite neighbor before. If not, check him out. (You know, the one who ripped out his lawn, put lights in his driveway, painted his house white, and didn’t want visitors.)

I thought I would never write about him again. What else could he do? How far could he go? What was left?

And yet here we are. He’s painting his windows!

Okay, maybe he wants more privacy. Fine. What about curtains? Too much sunlight in the morning? How about some nice blinds? Peeping Tom in the neighborhood? I doubt it. If there is, call the cops.

So there you go. Another chapter in “the most interesting neighbor” saga.

Posted in morning

Spectacular sunrise and surprisingly good service

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The morning colors were spectacular. This is why I never want to miss the sunrise. It’s only for a moment, but the images stays in my mind for a long, long time.

As we round a corner, an idling truck is parked in front of a house. It’s 6:30 am, and a cable technician in a bucket truck is waiting to fix someone’s wifi?

Customer service is a big deal. Our lives are almost dependent on wifi, the internet, and connectivity. We need it for finances, medical care, education, and entertainment. But do we need it early Sunday morning?

  • Perhaps the customer does work finance in Asia, where it’s twelve hours later. Life goes on in different parts of the world.
  • For some, internet communication is their lifeline. They aren’t alone as long as they are connected. Without a modem, a wifi hub, and a computer, the world doesn’t exist. With those things, their world comes to life.
  • I suppose it’s a terrible inconvenience for some. Caring for children or parents can be difficult without some kind of entertainment. Most are not prepared for a disconnected world.
  • Plenty of folks are selfish. They want what they want and they want it right now. Like online gaming, movies to watch, internet news. What is there besides that? Not much. (Unless you like to read, play board games, exercise, and spend time with friends and family.)

I appreciate good customer service. If the cable provider wants to cater to my urgent and selfish needs, so be it. They make it happen. They make it work.

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Let’s go check it out!

Posted on by William Douthwaite
Photo by Random Institute on Unsplash

After a forty day tour of the promised land, the spies said, “It’s wonderful and abundant. Lot’s of people live there in fortified cities.

Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are” (Numbers 13:30-31).

How often do I hear someone’s good news and immediately temper it with a, “Yeah, but…” or “Well, you know…” or “If it sounds too good to be true…” I for one am an expert at deflating someone’s excitement with skepticism and cynicism. I use those exact phrases.

I’m trying not to. Enthusiasm, excitement, anticipation are good things. Let’s assume the best!

In a similar way, we envy the nice things and experiences others have. You know, it’s okay for others to have fun, adventure, possessions, and family. It’s wonderful for them to be happy and fulfilled. And we can embrace that!

Let’s wish them the best. Let’s go with the positive. Let’s go check it out!

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

On fire

Posted on by William Douthwaite

“On the day that the tabernacle was set up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, the tent of the testimony. And at evening it was over the tabernacle like the appearance of fire until morning “(Numbers 9:15).

I love the image of the cloud that covered the tabernacle during Israel’s wilderness wanderings. I never thought of the fire that went along with it.

Imagine someone yelling, “The tabernacle’s on fire!” It could happen. Lamps and incense are constantly burning inside. Priests set fire to offerings and sacrifices day and night. Conditions are ripe for fire.

But this is different. Moses saw a bush on fire that wasn’t consumed. The people camped at the base of a mountain that looked like it was on fire. Now it’s the very expensive and painstakingly constructed tabernacle. God in the midst of his people is like fire. Sometimes it consumes. Sometimes it doesn’t.

The Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego encountered God in a fiery furnace. They were not consumed. Elijah and Elisha saw the Lord’s horses and chariots of fire. Elijah was taken away, not consumed. When two disciples had supper with Jesus after the resurrection, their hearts burned within them, but they were not consumed.

But Nadab and Abihu were consumed when they set unauthorized incense on fire. Fire from heaven consumed Elijah’s sacrifice on Mount Carmel, along with the stones and water surrounding the altar. The heat of the fire consumed the servants who three the three men into the furnace. God’s fire consumed Job’s sheep and servants. “In the fire of his jealousy, all the earth shall be consumed” (Zephaniah 1:18).

Jesus was consumed with zeal for his Father’s house. “Our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:29). So we don’t mess around with him. Yet his fire fills and purifies us, temples of his Spirit.

Just like the tabernacle.