Thursday, February 17, 2011

What Do You See?

Cubby and I play a game almost every day that goes like this: I'm sitting on the couch, he's running in his stiff-legged way around the living room when all of the sudden . . . WOE and WHINING and SCRABBLING AT MY KNEES FOR COMFORT. At which point I cleverly deduce that he's ready for a change of scene.

So up I pull him onto the couch, where he can stand and look over the back of the couch out of the window. And then I say, in the cheery, repetitive manner of a children's show host, "Let's look outside, Cubby! What do you see? Do you see . . . snow? Do you see . . . trees? Do you see . . . the lake?" And so on. If he's looking out the bay window, the list may include the lilac bush, the barn, the stone wall, the dogs, whatever. Sometimes, when we're really lucky, we see a squirrel.

Hey, I didn't say it was an exciting game. Though it does distract him for five minutes, which is pretty much the sum total of my day: five-minute distractions until bedtime.

ANYWAY.

It occurred to me that this would be a very interesting question to pose to the general public. That is, you. I assume you will not need the prompting I must give to Cubby.

So, duckies, let's look outside! What do you see? A parking lot? Your garden? Your neighbor wandering out to get the newspaper in his underwear? What's outside your window?

18 comments:

Aunt Krissy said...

I see fog, snow and trees, kind of as it's, you know, foggy.

Anonymous said...

Major FOG in St. Paul today. White, gray, and a few porch lights on. Cubby wouldn't have much fun here today. Mary in MN

Anonymous said...

A Cameilia bush and a brick wall.

Anonymous said...

I see many bird feeders without birds in them. I see Adirondack chairs in winter. And I see the wind-- wait! I can't actually SEE the wind! Isn't there a children's poem somewhere called "Who Has Seen the Wind?"

Phoo-D said...

I see fog lifting from the forest floor. I see geese flying overhead. I see the field grass bent from winter winds emerging from drifts of melting snow.

flask said...

piles and piles of snow. sunshine. and if i crane my neck a little, i can see one side of my awesome snowfort.

Lawyerish said...

I have a view of a helipad (which is cool for when the President visits), New York harbor, the East River, Governor's Island, Brooklyn, and the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. On a clear day, I can see all the way out past the Rockaways. It's pretty awesome, I have to admit.

tu mere said...

Mountains with clouds hiding the tips of their peaks; winter dry cactus coming down the mountain up to our see through fence; rocks of all shapes and sizes interspersed with green and frost induced winter brown dead and half dead looking plants, surrounding a still inviting Ramada; the very top structure of the lap pool. Since it's now 8:50 a.m. and 63 degrees, Cubby could actually walk around and enjoy it all. Dang the distance!

Anonymous said...

Woods. I strive to be a hermit. Thank you.
Warmth is coming your way..get out your shorts and t shirts or at least you can shed enough layers to get some vitamin D. Beth

word verification - emplath

working telepath

sheila said...

a car, a truck, another car
rinse, repeat all day long.
I don't like looking out my front windows

Anonymous said...

Laundry flapping on the line! Finally! The window is short for this kind of activity, as I live downwind from a rock quarry and the big trucks create a dust storm all day long as they barrel across the hill on the gravel road. But as the last snow melts (please let it be the last for this season - last night's low was 55F unheard of in February but we'll take it) the road is soft/wet enough that I can hang laundry with no worry about dust. I'll probably get two days of this before the road dries enough that hanging laundry out is the same as rubbing dirt into it as I pull it out of the rinse tub. And yes, the deer and the turkeys wandered by earlier, and the song birds are looking at me like why don't I go fill their feeders again, so I guess I will. Cubby would have a delightful time here and resemble a little mud ball when it was time to come in. Thanks for asking! Smiles from your forgetful anonymous grandma type reader

Sara said...

Oh, how I wish I had a window.

Anonymous said...

From the office? A tiny scrap of paved over back "yard" with a six foot wood fence - but it's sunny, warm, and my tree that fills the backyard is throwing great shadows. Oh - and the cat sunning himself on the backyard bench. And my wind chime. - Moi

jean said...

Out the front window I see snow, trees, and people walking their dogs. Out the back window I see snow, trees, (bastard) squirrels and sunshine.

Anonymous said...

Sun, palm trees, assorted cacti and agavi plants. A Humming bird too... LA&A Railroad P.S Miss the lake!

mil said...

POEM
Who Has Seen the Wind?

by Christina Rossetti

Who has seen the wind?
Neither I nor you:
But when the leaves hang trembling,
The wind is passing through.

Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads,
The wind is passing by.

me again said...

I apologize in advance.......I see ocean waves and a sandy beach, all illuminated with bright sunshine.
Sorry.

Alicia said...

The T38: The plane astronauts train in.

Trumps you ALL.