September 9, 2014

DJ phoned yesterday morning and reveled that the hysterical barking of Leon’s dogs indicated a bear sow and her two cubs were holed up in Carolyn’s yard. I ran with my camera, and for the first time saw the bear family that everybody else in North Asheville has seen a dozen times. They were bigger and blacker than one imagined, not merely black, but holes punched in the light. They didn’t seem too disturbed by the fuss they were making, though my neighbors were agitated by the (admittedly incessant) yapping of the dogs. My neighbor with the band and the drum kit knocked on the door of my neighbor with the yapping dogs to complain. I couldn’t hear how that came out, but it was an epic instance of pot and kettle.

Good plays out of my playwrights yesterday. In Humanities I outlined the sweep of the history of Minoa and Greece, because there would be no other opportunity. We will be spending days (according to the syllabus) talking about prayer beads and hoplite battles, whatever the instructor’s hobby might be, but not one gesture toward the acquisition of a learned– or even not-quite-ignorant--foundation. One says these things and is attacked not because one is wrong, but because one hasn’t shown what the chairman considers proper interest in times before. I’m not used to such a display of faith-based decision making in an academic environment. On the other hand, it’s fun having no particular message to convey. Fun was the point from the beginning. People said that right out, unabashed.

The roses are big as cabbages, orangey-pink and decadent.