Thursday 5 January 2017

On the brink


Yesterday I was tasked with finding a couple of rocks of about 10 tons each, which I have done this morning. Sometimes I love my job. The best thing is when you are dealing with a rock which it would be unreasonable to be asked to manually pick up. Then you can relax and enjoy watching it being picked up by a machine.

I went into the pub and looked over the shoulder of someone who was reading a newspaper, and the above image is what I saw. God is - once again - having a laugh, but I don't know which one. Maybe all of them.

Those balanced rocks left in out-of-the-way places by glaciers and/or the wind and rain about 200,000 years ago have always taken on some holy significance to us humans, but we in the cold North don't gold-leaf them.

A couple of months ago, someone - or some people - tipped a 20 ton block from its perch after hundreds or thousands of years of people just being content to rock it gently and marvel at God's balancing-act.

I had better stop reflecting on how the times are changing before I get oredered to lighten up again. I may get so heavy that only a machine can deal with me.

15 comments:

  1. We've had some millennium old balanced rocks toppled in national parks. In two incidents the perps were stupid enough to take video or pictures, post them, and be caught.
    Here in Hudson, many front yards feature a boulder. I didn't realize how many, until we were putting together out new front garden, and Laura struggled up with a rock that was an armful. She positioned it, and announced it was our "Hudson rock".

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    1. She would struggle with the ones I have got, but well done her anyway.

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  2. I like that picture, something about the colors reminds me of sea shells. Your post reminds me that I daily make use of the elevator in my apartment building for upward transport. Wouldn't this be a lift machine? I take the stairs for descending.

    Best wishes.

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  3. A beautiful painting - and if I understood your article right: very stupid people destroying beauty - WHY?? Mindless, evil - I will have to go to the Kulturforum's exhibition again and watch Hieronymus Bosch's picture: the triptych "Last Judgement", where he gave much attention to the detailed depicture of hell...

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    1. It is a photo, Britta. It really happened and it still happens, somewhere in the shadow of the Himalayas, I guess.

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  4. Sadly the title of this post is apt in today's world order. It is frightening to contemplate what next disaster or debacle lies ahead.

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    1. Careful. Some bright soul will tell you to 'lighten up', and then carry on describing their bowel movements.

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  5. There are some days when I find it impossible to 'lighten up' Tom - particularly in Winter,or if the news is bad. But one has to carry on regardless.

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    1. Yes indeed Weave. Maybe I do moan too much, but it gets it off my chest.

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  6. What is a blog for if not to get things off your chest Tom ? You are allowed to have a good old moan as we all are. At least you write posts which is more than I can say for myself !!!! XXXX

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    1. I do get a little fed up with people saying that I am not allowed to mention things like Brexit anymore, as if it's all over! Ha ha! Am I denegrading GB by say that I haven't changed my mind about how a bunch of idiots representing over half the country have made a massive msitake? If so, am I not allowed to express that opinion. And if I do express that opinion, is it more boring than a load of fucking recipes or photos of food, or how good that mornings shower and shit was?

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  7. I keep coming back to your post to comment but then I delete what I have written. I'm struggling to put my thoughts into words.
    I don't know how to say it to make you feel better, Tom. Please, do not give up blogging, you are well loved here; well, from me you are.
    Greetings Maria x

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    1. I was rather hoping that the above would not inspire a 'please stay Tom' comment, but I will let you know when I am likely to go - which is not time soon. I have too much time on my hands, but maybe not as much as some others.

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