In The Nick of Time
Freezing rain started just a moment ago. Not really expected – drove home from a friend’s birthday gathering under what I thought were clear skies. Punched the button on the answering machine and heard the voice of a friend in the mid-West: I’ve called twice and you haven’t been home. It must not be snowing there.
Well, it is now, or it’s damn close. And been bitter and frigid for two days. The mild early winter spoiled us – it’s been freeze the inside of your nostrils cold the past two mornings, at least here on the creek. In other news, friends down East report their strawberries are flowering.
All this leads me to a gambling tale that I feel needs to be posted in this space. I spent the evening with a group of farmers, and after cake and ice cream we got into a bit of a dice game. You roll the dice trying to get close to a certain number, trying not to get over. Or something. You have to roll a few times to get close to that number. If you go over, you lose everything and have to start the whole game over. Or something. You see how keen I am on games.
Okay. Most games –cards, boards, dice – afford an opportunity to view people’s different personality types based on how they play the game. That’s what makes them just so tedious.
It occurred to me, halfway through the game, that every single player – farmers, all – were taking every chance they could and continually betting everything, certain the next roll would bring them just what they needed. Caution and strategy and palnning were not present at the table. "Gimme the dice! I know I’m gonna make it!"
It’s a weird defect we all have, but we have fun together.
Speaking of gambling with everything, the following weeds have developed a resistance to Round-Up: buckhorn plantain; goosegrass; waterhemp; fleabane; Italian ryegrass, rigid ryegrass, palmer amaranth and common ragweed.
Well, it is now, or it’s damn close. And been bitter and frigid for two days. The mild early winter spoiled us – it’s been freeze the inside of your nostrils cold the past two mornings, at least here on the creek. In other news, friends down East report their strawberries are flowering.
All this leads me to a gambling tale that I feel needs to be posted in this space. I spent the evening with a group of farmers, and after cake and ice cream we got into a bit of a dice game. You roll the dice trying to get close to a certain number, trying not to get over. Or something. You have to roll a few times to get close to that number. If you go over, you lose everything and have to start the whole game over. Or something. You see how keen I am on games.
Okay. Most games –cards, boards, dice – afford an opportunity to view people’s different personality types based on how they play the game. That’s what makes them just so tedious.
It occurred to me, halfway through the game, that every single player – farmers, all – were taking every chance they could and continually betting everything, certain the next roll would bring them just what they needed. Caution and strategy and palnning were not present at the table. "Gimme the dice! I know I’m gonna make it!"
It’s a weird defect we all have, but we have fun together.
Speaking of gambling with everything, the following weeds have developed a resistance to Round-Up: buckhorn plantain; goosegrass; waterhemp; fleabane; Italian ryegrass, rigid ryegrass, palmer amaranth and common ragweed.
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