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Retired publishing executive ecstatic with the idea of spending most of his time on the coast of Maine

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Appetizer

Imagine squatting on a tightrope, holding an artichoke in both hands, peeling its leaves away, and eating the tender ends as you go. Imagine finishing the whole artichoke in about a minute. Imagine reaching over to grab another, and another, maybe 20 in all.
That was a little red squirrel last evening, sitting on a swaying tree branch and and dissecting cone after hemlock cone, with immense skill and speed.
I could barely control my crossword puzzle book when I reached to the deck railing for my G&T and a cracker or two. Nor could I manage any kind of grace or efficiency when I went over to try my own skill on a cone.
Now imagine being so perfectly evolved for a task at hand - say, writing books.

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