Poem for Thursday

Fool's Errands
By Kay Ryan

A thing
cannot be
delivered
enough times:
this is the
rule of dogs
for whom there
are no fool's
errands. To
loop out and
come back is
good all alone.
It's gravy to
carry a ball
or a bone.

--------

Another from this week's New Yorker.

I spent Wednesday at home with Daniel, who was finishing his health homework -- his final project in health is due tomorrow, and he has a test -- while my mother took Adam and my niece Isabel, who's a year younger than Adam, to the National Museum of American History, where apparently they saw every exhibit in the place. Adam had seen the flag, presidents and first ladies before, but the Lincoln exhibit wasn't open the last time we were there, so they've seen more of the post-renovation museum at this point than I have. We may stop in over the weekend if we go down to the illuminated manuscript exhibit at the National Gallery and the Tale of Shoten Doji at the Sackler. I watched some of the news coverage of Clinton returning with Lee and Ling -- Lee's daughter was heartbreaking and adorable, and I think that's the biggest hug Gore has given Clinton since they were campaigning together in 1992.

We had dinner with my parents and Isabel, the kids played Wii Bowling for a while, then we came home and watched Yellow Submarine in honor of having found a torrent of the McCartney FedEx concert and being able to hear that live performance of "Eleanor Rigby" again. I haven't watched the whole thing in years, and had forgotten how completely on weed it is (well, probably on things stronger than weed, but "That's on weed!" is Daniel and Adam's favorite phrase at the moment). And now we are watching Jon Stewart crucify Fox News coverage of Clinton in North Korea (quid pro quo like the Iran-Contra scandal?) which is perfectly awesome.


The blacksmith demonstrating how a knife is made at Union Mills last weekend.


We watched him hammer and shape the red-hot metal while he explained the process.


Previously he had made these suitor's candleholders -- if Dad liked the suitor, the candle was set high, so it took a long time to burn down, but if Dad did not like the suitor, the candle was set much lower.


He had also made tongs, hooks, keyholders and other items.


This man was working with wood, hollowing out a ladle and carving the handle.


Here is the mill's water wheel seen through the window of the smithy...


...and from beside the mill, which still produces flour. We bought buckwheat and Paul made excellent pancakes yesterday.