Tuesday, December 26, 2006

The Diary of Sigmund Gnome 12/25/06...

Dear Diary,

It was a gray Christmas morning, one that followed a gray month of December, and the first time they had ever been alone together on that holiday. I watched them from a distance, not wanting to intrude the business of gnomes into their peaceful domesticity. After all, thirty-four is a lot of get-up-early-to-celebrate-that-Santa-came mornings.

She made her coffee, he made his Postum, and they had their usual repartee around the relative merits of the two drinks, laughingly agreeing that chocolate hazelnut biscotti taste good no matter what they’re dunked in. I was still sitting on a stump and sipping my mead when they emerged from the house.

“Good morning, Sigmund!” she called out. “We’re going for a walk in the woods before I have to start cooking for tonight,” and with that, they waved and headed up the path into the forest.

He often takes an axe for clearing downed trees from the woods roads, but today he just took her – and of course, she took her camera.


It was my day off, so I decided to go into the woods too, but I took a different path, and reaching Flower’s house, I found him still up and about after his night of foraging for food. When he heard she was coming with her camera he groaned a “not again” and decided – as usual – that he would not be a model on Christmas day. The Jay family heard him grumbling and flew off to alert the other animals, so that by the time the Wizened Wizard was deep in the forest, the only creatures to be seen were a pair of ruffed grouse who flew away with wings beating loudly (and were gone before she could even point her lens). Flower, being good at heart, left her a note on his message board.



After seeing this message and not seeing Flower, the Wiz'd Wizard apparently decided to see if Bucky and Simone d'Beavoir might be interested in a family portrait, but finding the shades drawn and the door closed at their house, she finally turned for home. I ran into Bambi and we chatted briefly, then I followed.

Of course, you just never know what that wizard will point her camera at, and so it wasn't too surprising to find her gleefully circling a puddle at the edge of the woods, angling and clicking. How anyone - much less a wizard - can get excited over some cold water and ice is hard to fathom, but I guess that's what makes her wizened. Later, at home, she would excitedly consider, crop, then drag all who would look to see the latest photographic wonder.
>


And you know, it's amazing how nice a cold puddle can look when she captures it! I like that picture, but my favorite is the picture she took of me a few minutes later.



It was just another day in the life of a gnome.

12 comments:

DirkStar said...

Oh yeah! We're all coming back out to play!

You just wait until I get all cozy with my camera...

Fun post, I loved it!

I am so looking forward to the new year.

Craig D said...

Gnomes drink postum? Who knew?

Judy said...

Craig - Not unless forced to. Husband drinks Postum. YUCK! Gnomes much prefer mead.

Of course it is sometimes pretty difficult to tell the difference between a husband and a gnome...

Craig D said...

Well, I just figured since the stuff isn't fit for human consumption...

(I used to be on a postum kick once, myself, BTW!)

whimsical brainpan said...

I have heard of Postum but I'm not sure what it is. Do I even want to know?

Have a Happy New Year!

Judy said...

Postum is a powdered sort of coffee imitation. Per Wikipedia: “The caffeine-free beverage mix was originally created by company founder C. W. Post in 1895 and marketed as a healthy alternative to coffee. Post was a Seventh-day Adventist and a student of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg who felt caffeine was unhealthy, and thus created an alternative of mostly wheat and molasses.” It tastes something like hot water in which burned toast has been steeped, but it does have its defenders, generally people who haven't had enough caffeine to be sufficiently awake to realize they're drinking poison.

Max and Me said...

oh wizard...so happy to see you. your writings and photos are my refuge. i love coming here. wanted to tell you how much i have appreciated your friendship. it was a wonderful thing that dirk did to link us all together. i am thinking he might be some sort of angel. don't tell him though...he might get a swelled up head.

anyhow...here is to another year! i hope to grow with you in friendship!

Bardouble29 said...

Wizened- I loved the photos and the story. I will definately come to read more often.

whimsical brainpan said...

LMAO Wizard! Thanks for the 411 on postum.

skeet said...

Gnomes and the world in a puddle. I'm content. Thank you.

russkal said...

I have a college friend named Sigmund. He has peculiarly long ears and stands just about 5'1. He also has a pair of red Doc Marten boots.

I last saw him when...

Oh no! Sigmund, is that you???

..................... said...

postum? bleah..
beauty is found in the little things sometimes, isn't it?
you have a great new year's, oh wizened wiz..