27 seconds of calm

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 Where does this take you? What does it take from you? What's left?


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Pay whatever you like

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When travelling, it's a custom in our family to pick up a souvenir or two of the places we visit and usually these take the form of prints, drawings or ceramics. Nothing too expensive mind but we do aim to go for the highest quality at the best price. Stopping at the stall of a local artist on a recent trip we were surprised to see a notice stating, "Pay whatever you like". An interesting and unusual concept. Engaging him in conversation, he explained that he wasn't alone in taking this approach.  He pointed out that some musicians, restaurants and even hotels were offering similar "payment" arrangements. This seemed a long way from the story I once heard about an event where the price of the cold, soft drink rose in line with the temperature in the stadium.  It is also quite commonplace for the price of hotel rooms to rise in relation to the importance of events going on in their area.  The inevitable law of supply and demand. The artist...
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A vintage wall box

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Curious, I stopped in front of this object embedded in a wall. A box, of course but for what purpose?   My initial reaction was that it was for letters but there is no opening through which to post them. My attention moved to the central keyhole - without a handle this appears to be the sole means of opening and closing the box. It is visibly old with its aged yellow surround like an aura smudged at its centre with traces of red and blue. Distressed and much weathered, the name of the manufacturer is worn or overpainted and so not quite visible. Although recessed, the box stands out from its surrounding gaining prominence from the black background. It sits on a band of blue, separated from another at the base. Curlicues painted black and orange on a red background reprise the ornate scroll work at the top of the box. I am curious about this. Does the key still exist? Does it work? How many copies of it are there? And I am curiouser still about its purpose. If not letters then wh...
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A mist of web and raindrops

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  I nearly walked past this shrub earlier on.  I'm glad I didn't because a little while later this natural occurence had disappeared. A mist of web and raindrops had cloaked the plant. Entrapment by spiders surely to lure in unwary insects. The strategy reminded me a little of the Sirenes singing in the Ulysses epic. So as not to yield to the tempting invitation the hero in that story had himself bound to the ship's mast while the sailors had their ears blocked with wax so they couldn't hear the fateful song. It succeeded in the story but I am not sure how it worked out for the insects or the spiders in the shrub. I cannot really criticise the insects for falling prey. It's part of the natural cycle of things. And anyway, I stopped to investigate so I guess I too fell for the strategy. Glad I stopped and paid attention though. Would have "mist" it otherwise. Have you had a similar experience? Spotted any other of nature's fatal attractions?
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