Wednesday 4 August 2010

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

Keep Away From the Spray

Toronto, Ontario

Before the morning song birds get a chance to serenade the coming day at pre-pre-dawn, a hissing is heard. As I pass by yard to yard of the residential neighbourhood water pressure makes that sound and spews out here and there H20 moisture in the air. They are the sound of man-made geysers set to water the lawns. They are sporadic with their initial explosion and then a spray follows often times imposing themselves onto the sidewalk.

If you are an early walker like myself and you trek such sprouting neighbourhoods then you must listen for the sound of the hiss and run in order to miss. If not, you get sprayed.

It’s better than getting sprayed by those guys you share the early morning space with – skunks. Boy, there are out there. Once I counted seven in a two block jaunt. They’re never together. They don’t herd, like cats. I have never been attacked by their odour, a scent something like that I find common in Bengal – mustard seed oil used on the body or the hair.

No, never have I had the pleasure of having skunk juice on my body. I have met others who have. And dogs. I hear they get hit all the time. Once while I was reading a book by our guru, Srila Prabhupada, and in the very bedroom he slept in when that evening a dog barked outside the window. I could not see him, but only hear him. “Ruff! Ruff!”

After a few seconds of that he converted from an aggressive bark to a screechy squeal, as he was retreating. Suddenly a strong odour poured into my room and I could understand the dog had received a generous spray of skunk perfume.

It was totally a spontaneous response, unlike the spewing of water which operate on timers. What did I learn today?

1) It’s good to be regulated. Be on time!

2) When a hissing comes, clear out of the way.

3) Keep a distance from a skunk raised tail.

4) Accept nature’s light-heartedness

7 KM

No comments: