Have you ever unintentionally broken the law?
Yep.
I’m humming Arlo Guthrie’s 1967 version of Alice’s Restaurant Massacree as I ponder this writing prompt. And of course my mind then goes straight to Judas Priest’s 1980 Breaking The Law. Ah, British Steel.
The most recent item was a speeding ticket on Highway 6, as one goes northbound down the hill and enter the North Bruce Peninsula (population 3800 full-time residents [or as I like to call it 3802.7]). Juuuuuust before entering the Ferndale flats. We were on our way back from the Handicraft House And Trading Post (so it was a Sunday). I was passing a careful driver who was doing 79.999999999 km/h in his tiny 1980’s era Ford Ranger pickup. The farm truck was toddling along, swaying gently back and forth. I dropped the bass-base-booty-pedal and the TACO’s V6 engine opened up with a glorious snarl, shot forward, and brought SNOWKAT up to >130 km/h to pass. I didn’t slow down fast enough after passing. I saw the OPP cruiser with its white top. It did a rapid U-turn, and lit up its cherries. I pulled over, turned on the hazard lights, turned off the truck and removed the keys from the ignition. I brought all the smoked windows down, and unbuckled my seatbelt. And slowly brought my wallet and registration to the front seat.
I didn’t buckle up again. Baaaaaaaad move. OPP Officer Anderson (not Neo) tested my cognition when he walked up to the truck. He noted that my seat-belt was off, despite my hands gripping the wheel at the 10 and 2 o’clock position. TS bailed me out and said I had taken my seatbelt off so that I could get my wallet (yes, her seatbelt WAS on). The OPP officer said that I was 1km/h away from getting the truck seized for street racing. Oh shit.
OPP Officer Anderson returned to his cruiser and punched in my data. At his discretion, he issued me a SIGNIFICANTLY lower traffic violation that I gladly paid. BE IT RESOLVED = I’m far more careful with passing vehicles. Do it, then slow the fuck down as soon as I clear the car. If I can’t pass at speeds 10-20 km/h over the posted speed limit, I back off and let the vehicle ahead of me mosey along unmolested. And I enact my mindful breathing exercises.
afternoon rock farm report.
While TS was working at the Electric Woodpecker, I finished up the firewood drying bins. I still have stacks of construction lumber waste to burn up. TS stacked it so well last year, it retains moisture and has become a multi-story condominium for solitary bees. I repurposed all kinds of bits and pieces and weird fasteners to assemble the bins. Version 1 used nice and robust landscaping “fabric”. Its galvanized 1/4″ metal gaps allow air circulation. I’m happier with the 2nd bin’s construction. I ended up using LESS expensive deck screws. The pallet transported bags of lime-plaster to the site, so they’re beefy (double the number of slats). Version 2 used thin gauge chicken wire, so TS and I doubled it up to reduce the wire from tearing apart. There’s 1 more NICE beefy pallet sitting around. The big-blue-burley-beautiful pallet floating around the property will have to be left alone. It has a… what… hive? cooperative? confederation?… of bumblebees in its recesses. I didn’t realize bumblebees can be communal. I won’t argue with the pollinators, as they swarmed-buzzed defensively when I tried to dismantle their domicile. PN treated the pea plants with a fungicide. The pea plants are easily over 2 metres high, and they are suffering from too much precipitation exposure. Mildew! Blight!
BCB&B, neemtree, bdb, and blog 