I took this picture when I had a walk today. That is Harvey's property and what it looks like when you approach it from the west. I've seldom, if ever, taken pictures of his home out of respect for his privacy but knowing he's not there, I figured I wasn't going to disturb him at home. As you can see, there isn't much privacy to be had there. I've seen him sleeping in that truck and of course there are the two trailers but I'm not sure he spent much time in either of them. In reality, they're nothing but metal boxes which do little to mitigate heat or cold. Although there is an electric line extended over the trailers, I feel certain it is not hooked up.
I have seen him sitting in the doorway of that trailer. The men who cleaned up the property did a thorough job and it appears they didn't throw away or dispose of anything that is a possession of Harvey's. You can see his latest cross sign there. I'm not sure why "Christ" is upside down on it but it is. At one point it said "No Man Lord" which is what I called him for a long time before I knew his real name. Not to his face. And of course it has said "Jesus Saves" on it. Harvey seems to have a deep devotion to Jesus and I have seen him reading a huge Bible many times, usually sitting under the one tree on his property.
Which is no longer his property.
So that's what I've been talking about all these years when I've talked about Harvey's place.
The walk was very good. It was whippier and colder than I'd thought it was and I was not dressed warmly enough. It wasn't cold enough to get chilblains, of course, but I never did warm up entirely. I will say that my speed increased nicely. I was quite spry out there today.
Well, for a 71-year old woman.
Which I still find hard to believe I am.
I know a lot of people who, as they get older insist that they still feel the same way they did when they were sixteen or twenty-one or even ten years old.
In some ways, I do understand that. After having and raising four children, I am quite convinced that we are all born with our personalities already in place. When it comes to nature vs. nurture, I think it's pretty obvious it's both. However, if you're born with a questioning nature, I don't think you can erase that characteristic by anything you experience or do. Some people are born responding to and loving music and may well find themselves seeking out ways to express themselves with it no matter what their upbringing is like.
I don't think I need to belabor the point here. You know what I mean. So yes, I do love many of the same things I loved when I was six including books, and trees, and rivers, and oceans. I loved looking out at the Atlantic and wondering about the distant countries on the other side of it and what was under that water. Whales? Sea monsters? Trunks of golden coins and jeweled treasures? The bones of the pirates whose gold and jewels that had been?
And I still feel exactly the same way when I look out at an endless horizon of water now.
Again, I believe you know what I'm talking about.
However, when it comes to a lot of other things, I do not feel at all as if I was any of those much-younger ages. Not just in my joints or bones or muscles or memory. That all goes without saying. Some things that I thought I would lose with age though, I am surprised and delighted to find I have not and which would probably have disturbed and shocked me to contemplate when I was young and lithe and full of the juicy sweetness of youth.
But when it comes to ways I think, the years I've stacked up behind me do influence me greatly and sometimes that's a good thing, sometimes it is not. I am no less liberal than I was when I was nineteen so it's not things like that. It's more things like being up for travel and adventures, going to parties and out to bars to dance. Okay-let's face it- going anywhere that requires me to leave my house and my property.
And put on a bra.
But then again, my mother always called me her "worrier" because I worried about everything when I was young and guess what? I'm exactly the same now only far more so, to the point of severe anxiety so things in that area have gotten worse, not better. But the seed of this sort of thing was in me from the beginning.
Ay-yi-yi.
Mr. Moon left to go up to the cabin this afternoon after he'd gone to Tom's to help him with plumbing problems caused by the freezes we've had. It was not good. But you know Glen- he'll do what he can and he'll do it the best he can so he got a late start but that's okay.
I've boiled and pressed my tofu so that is definitely on the menu tonight and I want to get to it. I believe that tomorrow I'll do my shopping which somehow always takes me all day.
I hope Maurice sleeps with me tonight which she has not been doing. Instead, she's been sleeping on Mr. Moon's lap when he is in his chair and that BITCH actually purrs for him.
Sigh.
I told Glen this morning that I want my own cat. But of course any other cat we brought into this house would immediately be sliced and diced by the Orange Warrior Goddess who rules here.
Sigh again.
Only going to get down to 31 tonight. Almost toasty!
No it's fucking not. But we're getting used to this. In a way. Sort of.
Not really. We'll live.
Love...Ms. Moon


At the age of 80 I feel like I have been trimmed like a hedge. A top layer where my interests were. I still enjoy talking to people, but it exhausts me and I find myself searching for words that are floating in the ether.
ReplyDeleteOh well, that being said, have you had any iguanas falling out of your trees? I can't believe the size of those critters. I can just imagine Maurice bringing you one as a gift. Stay warm!
Boneless tofu for dinner, that is how I read it because I am blind- Blindness can be entertaining. So, is "no man Jesus" gone for good? IF he has been given the boot you should save his sign. It belongs in a primitive art museum. So in awe of you for walking on this cold day! Well done!
ReplyDeleteAt last, a better glimpse's into No Man Lord's territory. Perhaps Christ is upside down because of the occupant of The White House. What do they call him? Is it Genghis Khan?
ReplyDeleteNot his property any more? Is this new? I feel concerned about a man I've never seen!
ReplyDeleteWhen Mr moon finishes the cabin, will there be strong persuasion for you to start going there?
So Mr. Harvey isn't expected to return to his place in the sun? I'm guessing it's a bit less bleak in the summer. And congratulations on your walk, even in the cold. I'm hoping your camellias are surviving (and that mine are too - they are set in this concrete snow so not much to be done if they are unhappy.
ReplyDeleteAnd why is there not more anger and outrage about the damn Files? What's wrong with people?
Ceci
We got down to 15C (59F) last night and I felt cold enough to put fluffy socks on my feet. I have a "born worrier" in my group of people and when things are going well, he worries there is nothing to worry about and surely something bad will happen to disturb his peace?
ReplyDeleteI'm reading but that's about it. Stay warm my friend.
ReplyDeleteThat dilapidated old trailer reminds me so much of one that was a couple of houses down the street from where I lived as a kid. In 18 years, I never once laid eyes on the man who lived there. Apparently he never left the trailer, being disabled in some way and a severe alcoholic. But I saw his elderly mother a fair bit, who lived in a small shack down the other way on the street and who was deemed by all and sundry to be an old witch. All the mean neighbourhood kids mocked her as a witch when she wandered in the ditches looking for string or anything else of interest. I never did though, being brought up to know better. My father had a run-in with her once that involved her cat, his dog, and her repeatedly hitting my father with a broom although, in all fairness, I believe she was aiming at the dog. But my father didn't swear at her or do anything mean about it, because he was brought up to respect his elders. Hmm, I should write a blog post about this sometime, rather than cluttering up your comments section!
ReplyDeleteWhere IS Harvey? Is he ill? I've often wondered what his domain looked like...now I know. Thank you so much for posting the pics.
ReplyDeleteI hope Maurine returns to your boudoir tonight. What's gotten into her? Well, cats are cats and we'll leave it at that. I agree, I think what we were interested in at 6 is still with us. I can relate...but I never grew up and at 70 plus...damn if I will at this point.
Stay warm. It got up to a tropical 21 here today. Heatwave, indeed. They say Friday another winter storm front will move through. Here we go again...and again.
Paranormal John
Are we to believe that Harvey is dead? If this is the case I would rescue his Crucifix. If someone doesn't rescue it, it will be destroyed, and he will be forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realized Harvey's living conditions were quite that bad. While I'm sure you can get away with that when you're younger, as you age it has got to be so much more difficult. I'm glad he's safe and warm and hopefully some kind of social services can and will step in to help him! (I've just seen Cro's comment. Hope I didn't miss anything - I thought Harvey was in jail)!
ReplyDeleteI was about to discuss what age I feel and what I think I’ve carried with me from childhood, but that became a HUGE tangent. So, never mind. I remember the JESUS upside-down-CHRIST sign. You must have shared a close-up in the past. I’m trying not to whine too much about awful indigestion and nausea.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to finally see Harvey's homestead. I've been curious for a long time about what it looks like -- although Mitchell says you posted a picture of it before, so maybe I've just forgotten. He's in jail now, right? Does he no longer own the property?
ReplyDeleteI remember being young and looking around in a dance club, or in a gym, and thinking, "Why don't more older people go to these places?" And now I'm older and I totally get it. I have little desire to either dance or work out, though I loved both activities when I was younger.
Since I turned 75 this year, I sure have felt my age piling up on me.
ReplyDeleteI come from a family of worriers as my Mom was a worrier and my sister and I are worriers, too. Now I'm worrying about Harvey - did they take his land away from him? Was it his land? Did they put him in jail so they can take his land?
So many questions...
I was bitching about how cold it was Sunday and yesterday it got up to 70˚. Not going to get that warm today but I have the door open this morning!
ReplyDeleteWhat a bleak piece of property. I had envisioned much more trees and other growth.
Yeah, we are who we are when we are born. Nurture does affect, temper or encourage perhaps, but it doesn't create. We've made those choices before we fall to earth.
What a sad ending for Harvey. Did the city take possession of his property?
ReplyDeleteIt is a little warmer here. 30 degrees F actually feels good after days of well below zero.
Nature versus nurture. I do believe we are a combination of both.
I enjoyed reading your post because like you, I am a worrier, and I think I've gotten a bit better over time, but alas, I still do worry.
ReplyDelete