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?
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18 comments:

  1. Aunt KrissyFebruary 17, 2011 at 6:08 AM

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

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  2. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 6:31 AM

    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

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  3. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 6:49 AM

    A Cameilia bush and a brick wall.

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  4. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:06 AM

    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?"

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  5. Phoo-DFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:14 AM

    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.

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  6. flaskFebruary 17, 2011 at 7:48 AM

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

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  7. LawyerishFebruary 17, 2011 at 8:21 AM

    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.

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  8. tu mereFebruary 17, 2011 at 8:51 AM

    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!

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  9. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 9:12 AM

    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

    ReplyDelete
  10. sheilaFebruary 17, 2011 at 9:16 AM

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

    ReplyDelete
  11. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    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

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  12. SaraFebruary 17, 2011 at 9:42 AM

    Oh, how I wish I had a window.

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  13. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 11:26 AM

    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

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  14. jeanFebruary 17, 2011 at 12:12 PM

    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.

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  15. AnonymousFebruary 17, 2011 at 12:41 PM

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

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  16. milFebruary 17, 2011 at 3:04 PM

    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.

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  17. me againFebruary 18, 2011 at 7:36 AM

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

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  18. AliciaFebruary 20, 2011 at 12:44 PM

    The T38: The plane astronauts train in.

    Trumps you ALL.

    ReplyDelete