Woodfin's Finest, etc

September 9, 2010

Had coffee with Tom, then for reasons not yet clear to me, I attacked the garden. I dug up the huge flag stones from under the turf and reset them as a front walk. The work was exhausting. Afterwards I found myself at the studio, painting, without a false step. So though it was not the day a planned for myself, it was a day of accomplishment.

Lifted one of the great flat stones, and under it was a whole ant kingdom, babies and workers and, once the light broke upon them, mayhem. I was sorry I had done it, but by then there was no way back and I went ahead and moved the rock. Maybe they regrouped under it in its new location. I don’t think have ever disturbed so many souls at one time.

Driving back from the studio, on the steep hill that leads from River Road to Lakeshore, I saw four Woodfin police cruisers, two on each side of the street, their lights flashing. I shuffled through possible scenarios, and decided there had been some crime, and the best thing I could do was sail on without rubbernecking. Wrong. The first cop shouted at me “Stop!” and the second one scolded me because when you see cops, you’re supposed to stop unless they signal you on, says he. It was true no one had signaled me on, but had stood staring at me with their shaved heads and their very cool sunglasses. “We want to make sure you’re paying attention!” the shaved head cute one said. It was everything I could do not to laugh out loud. A paying attention road block? Only in Woodfin. They were all very gruff and macho and almost bent double with posturing. Someone should tell these boys that extorting respect never has desired the effect. He handed me my license and I said, “Am I finished?” He nearly jumped into the truck. WHAT DID YOU SAY????
“Am I finished?”
“Oh. . . yes. . . you’re finished.”