The exercise:
Let us see what comes from: the pit.
While Kat harvested all the greens we needed, I spent almost the entire morning picking strawberries. I'm in danger of getting sick of them already.
The first box program day went really well, though. I'm quite pleased that we got off to such a good start. Hopefully things continue to improve as we settle into a routine and figure everything out.
Mine:
The Pit was never hard to find, for those of us who had any interest in entering its hazy confines. You only had to follow the smoke.
Exiting the back doors, it was across the soccer field and just beyond the tree line. There weren't enough trees to call the area a forest, or even a grove, but the evergreens kept some of the rain off on stormy days.
Wasn't much to the place, really. Just a leaning picnic table with suspect legs and a garbage can. But it was off school property, by a mere crucial foot or two. That was enough, though, for those stray souls who were too cool to care about the cancer they were placing on their tongues and sucking into their lungs.
Strawberries do have a distinctive smell don't they? I can imagine it's easy to get a little sick of it after a whole morning of picking them.
ReplyDeleteThe box program sounds very promising then, let's hope it keeps up!
Heh, I can picture that picnic table perfectly I think, with the trees dotted around it. Doesn't much sound like somewhere I'd want to hang out, but then I'm not a smoker :)
The pit
The heat in there was awesome, it literally inspired awe. You could see the air shimmering with heat haze from twenty feet away, and you could feel the heat from not much further in. The smell of roasting flesh might not sound good when you talk about it, but it made you salivate like a hungry dog, and looking around I could see plenty of people drooling as much as I was. More so, in some slightly soggy cases.
There was a roar from inside, a cheering celebration announcing that the latest offering was being served up, and I quickened my pace, eager to see what I'd be getting soon. The doors were invitingly open, with only the blast-furnace heat to keep people out. It never succeeded.
The barbecue pit was at the back of the restaurant, aptly, if unimaginatively, named The Pit. I stopped for a moment in the doorway, inhaling deeply, tasting pork and beef roasting away, with hints of sweetness from the sauces and condiments laid out on the tables and splashed liberally on the meat. People pushed past me, reminding me that I wanted to be in the queue, and I fought my way deeper in, marvelling at the pit-boss who was drenched in sweat and had to be standing in 60 degree heat.
@Marc - I'm with Greg in that I wouldn't be hanging out there as I'm smoke free (and have never even tried).
ReplyDelete@Greg - for a moment I thought you were going to be morbid and have it be canabalism... but then you turned it into a BBQ... Yummy! (And you must mean 60 Celcius, beacuse that's a nice cool spring day in Farienheight)
The Pit
Sharon looked up from where she stood in the dark depths of the pit. The sky, occasionally blocked by tree branches, was far above her. She wasn't exactly sure how he'd set her down in there with out breaking any bones. The was the probelm with being unconscious. She couldn't remember a thing about the decent, or if there was any way to climb the walls.
Letting out a sigh and closing her eyes, she felt for the wall. When she didnt' find it where she expected she opened her eyes again. Looking back up she saw no sky.
Sharon took a giant stepped back.
Sky.
Giant step forward.
No Sky.
Pivvoting 180 degrees Shara started forward. She hit wall, though it was under a ledge. there would be no way to climb fromt here. She couldn't reach the ceiling of the cave. Now she felt her way along the wall. there was a pocket here. it went for a ways around, until she came to the open spot.
Sharon worked her way back around to the other side of the open spot. then, keeping on hand on where it started and reaching out, she discovered she could just barely reach the other side.
With nothing to lose, Sharon started forward. Setp by step she went, slowly bending as the ceiling sloped down, until she was on her hands and knees. She was just about to give up and go back, when she say light a head of her.
Barely able to wriggle to this other opening Sharaon looked out through the cliff face.
Pock marked with holes and portruding marks, Sharon would be easily able to climb down to the sea, and thus manage to make it around to shore. But first she'd need to manage to enlarge this hole.
Sharon smiled as she began to work, a plan of revenge forming in her twelve year old brain.
This Sharon may or may not be Sharon form Phoenix Triumphant, just as the man may or may not be her brother :}
Filled with the heavy metals of mining detritus and water rising up from beneath the ground, it is a hazard to birds, an attraction to mining companies as the price of metal increases, and now a tourist attraction.
ReplyDeleteBerkeley Pit, Butte, Montana
She stands statuesque, watching and waiting, like she does every week day at this time. Not a sound escapes her lips as she sees her child exit the bus and come bounding up the drive to envelope her in an enthusiastic hug. Her sole purpose is to please him, to comfort him and protect him. It is her duty and she accepts it willingly, she will allow nothing to separate them.
ReplyDeletePulling away he smiled, kissed her on the forehead and walked toward the house. He’d barely taken three steps before she heard the tell tale sound of a Rattler. She froze searching the grass for the snake. Finally she caught sight of it, its head rising just above the grass poised to strike her boy. Sasha was off like shot, pushing her boy out of the way and placing herself between the snake and the child.
It struck at her leg; its teeth skimmed over her skin creating a small scratch, but were unable to take hold to inject the venom necessary to immobilize her. Sasha rounded on the snake, grabbing it by the mid section and furiously shaking it. The snake tried to retaliate for a few moments but eventually its body went limp. Realizing it was dead and the threat was over Sasha released the body from between her teeth and limped over to her boy. She sniffed him all over and when she was certain he had not been bitten she licked his face and lay down with him in the grass.
“Good girl Sasha.” he crooned. “Good Dog! You saved me!”
Greg - I never understood the appeal of the pit or smoking in general.
ReplyDeleteThat's some restaurant. I think I'd order delivery :P
Cathryn - I've never tried either. Can't imagine why I would.
Great descriptions and detail in your scene!
Morganna - I'm not sure what sort of tourist would be attracted to that, but I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that those sorts do exist.
Morrigan - great exercise in perspective, you had me fooled until very near the end.