Dan Antion

A Way with Words – #1LinerWeds #JusJoJan

A mile and a half from our house, Amazon is building a ginormous warehouse. 2.2 million square feet! Construction has been underway for almost two years, so we’ve gotten used to seeing equipment, dirt piles, cranes (yay), protests and streets in various states of disrepair. Early last week, I drove by and saw the scene shown in the photo below.

The tipped over outhouse from our childhood?

I had to laugh when I saw that, and I had to go back with my camera later. Later today, I expect to get a confirmation email from my brother, as I’m sure he’s familiar with the less family-blog-oriented version of today’s one liner. This was often heard from our father while we were growing up.

“Your room looks like a tipped over outhouse – clean it up!”

This post is part of Linda G. Hill’s fun weekly series One-Liner Wednesday. And, given the time of the year, it’s also part of Just-Jot-January. If you have a one-liner, I encourage you to join in on the fun. You can follow this link to participate and to see the one-liners from the other participants.

Two years ago, there were no traffic lights and there were farms on both sides of the road.
The puddle has been here for over a week, but we haven’t been able to walk during the rain.
We’ve been pushing it it with respect to “acceptable weather” for walking. Now it’s 20°f (-7°c) or higher and not actively raining, we go.
It’s hard to tell what time it is on days like this
Hazy day
Maddie was upset. We had the park to ourselves until the crew from Public Works showed up to set up the skating rink
The guys will be working on a windy day
Enjoy
That’s not snow. Those are human and dog footprints in the mud that froze overnight.
The cypress trees are covered in ice.
Hartford from the west side (for a change)
Another glowing black squirrel.
We haven’t seen the sun all day. Now that it’s ready to set, the clouds roll out.
Sunset contrails
MuMu hasn’t been in the window for two weeks due to the lack of sun. Now she wants me to either brush her or leave.

74 comments

  2. I hope Jeff Bezos has taken the bunny habitat into consideration. If they suddenly disappear from your blog, Jeff and I will be having words.
    Black squirrels are acceptable substitutes now and then….
    👍

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  3. The photo of that new intersection where once was farmland is just what I’m seeing here. I try to think it’s for the best, but I’m not sure. The ice-covered cypress is beautiful, and I can’t help thinking that squirrel knew exactly what he was doing when he posed in that light. As for the one-liner, looking “like something the cat dragged in” was popular at our house, but it applied to me more than my room. I bet a collection of all those things our parents (and grandparents) said to get us to adulthood would be hilarious.

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    • Thanks Maureen. My father had a vast repertoire of expressions, but most aren’t fit for a family-friendly blog. Although, we were a family 😏

      So much farmland has been turned into warehouse space around here that it’s hard to remember the farms. I suppose it’s progress, but I’m not sure it’s necessary. They roll in, get a big tax break, and then leave if it’s not extended. We have a couple big concrete boxes that are currently empty.

      I do think Smokey knows what he’s doing when he poses. It always leads to him getting a peanut.

      I hope you have a nice day.

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  4. Love your Dad’s saying , love the photo too. At least the sight bought back happy memories. I can remember all three of our sons Room’s looking just as your dad discribed and smelling ” like a tarts boudoir”
    As usual your photos are beautiful, the reflection ones, the squirrel, the cat and the sun set/ rise stunning 💜

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  6. LOL!! My dad would say my room looked like a pig pen clean it up! While I would say to my two kids, ” Your room looks like a tornado blew through it. Clean it up!”

    That image where the traffic lights are up and the farmland gone is happening here all over the valley. It’s sad.

    I thought the image you said wasn’t snow was sand with foot and paw prints in it. I loved the glowing squirrel and my doesn’t it look nice wearing a nice fluffy warm fur coat for winter.

    The puddle with the light and trees reflected with specular highlights looks magical all twinkly…like Tinkerbell passed by and zapped her wand just as you pushed the shutter. It’s my favorite today.

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    • I guess we all have our worst case scenario to use.

      Our soil is very sandy, so the footprints were likely made in wet sand / mud. They were frozen in time when we got to them. Our weather is crazy. 51 Monday. 13 yesterday morning and in the 30s this morning with rain and freezing rain.

      The puddle with the light is at the end of our driveway. I rarely see it unless it’s still raining or recently stopped. Maddie had me out as soon as the rain ended.

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  7. I really like the Cypress tree ice coating, and I’m wondering if you will receive Amazon packages quicker being that close. :-) Getting Amazon shipments at home is somewhat of a challenge, but getting mail of any kind here in SC is like you are shipping to an island that is only accessible by swimming and dragging the mail in a raft behind you. Oh well, I can remember before Amazon which is hard to fathom these days. Happy Wednesday.

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    • We don’t use Amazon a lot, but we get deliveries fairly quickly. I’m not sure how their fulfillment process works. I buy mostly books from Amazon and I don’t think they keep them in stock. I’m more worried about the traffic. There used to be three traffic lights between me and Target – now there will be six. Fortunately, we can go around the back way.

      Happy Wednesday – I hope your package arrives soon.

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  11. Farmland gone–that is such a shame. There is one piece of property downtown that is built up all around it. We keep thinking the owners must be holding out for a fortune! I’m surprised the city hasn’t found a way to take it over, though.
    The cypress covered in ice is such a pretty photo, Dan. And the glowing squirrel–I love it!

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    • Don’t be fooled by Smokey’s halo-effect, Lois. He’s just playing me to get a peanut.

      I’m going to miss these farms, and the quiet ride I used to have to the bar on Saturday. These guys have some prime real estate, next to the highway on-ramp and within 2 miles of the airport.

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  14. Yep! I heard your dad’s version of the one-liner many times! Today I embrace “a place for everything and everything in its place.” Go figure.

    Vanishing farm land. So sad.

    Love the glowing black squirrel and the frozen cypress. Those frozen muddy footprints speak of a path well traveled!

    Have a great Wednesday despite the low temperature. Thursday into Friday perhaps not so nice!
    Ginger

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    • Haha – I figured I wasn’t alone. I’m still a bit of a nightmare when it comes to keeping things clean, but better than back then.

      Maddie missed her walk today due to freezing rain. Not sure what the near future holds, but it doesn’t look good, Ginger.

      Smokey was working that halo-effect to con me out of some peanuts. He has to keep that fur fluffed.

      Hang in there for a few days – stay warm and dry.

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  15. Your reflection photos are extraordinary, Dan. Our temps are much like yours, and I long for the sun. When it does shine, I’m out walking the area. Precious minutes for sure! Have a marvelous day, hopefully with sunshine.🌞

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    • Thanks Gwen. We have freezing rain to start this day. It’s supposed to get a little warmer, then who knows what’s coming. It’s winter, we’ll take what we get (but I’m glad I’m retired).

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  16. I was permitted one pile of papers on the edge of my desk. Didn’t matter how tall it got as long as it was only one pile!

    Sadly, perhaps, I use a modified version of this today (modified = more piles). But the underlying principle is the same: oldest stuff is at the bottom!

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    • Hahaha – and you make your living telling people how to organize their stuff :-)

      I’m glad to hear that you use the pile method, Steve. Mu guess is you’re pretty good at stacking them high.

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  17. It is one of those mornings when I can watch the screens paint. Or pause and get ready to paint. Are those binary bumps ? Or something more in line with the outhouse ? The other question is how long will it take for the ice rink to freeze ? Until it does it will make one heck of a reflecting pool ! Unless an outhouse gets blown in. Preferably an unoccupied one. Is Toto in there too Dorothy ?

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    • It’s hard to tell, John. We have some serious cold on the way this weekend, but they pour a lot of water in there. I so hope to get a few pictures. No sign of Toto or Dorothy but those footprints did include a little dog.

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  19. Great photos, Dan. I don’t remember being asked to clean my room since I liked everything put away. I remember a friend’s dad telling him that his room was a pigsty. I have to say it was a bit of a mess. Great one-liner.

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  20. Dan, you are the master of A Way With Words. Love your commentary under the photos. Partial to the sun photos, but look forward to seeing Maddie, MuMu, and yard critters. Mom used to say, Clean up your room, it looks like a pig sty.” We had an outhouse too (unused) back in the 40s, but also pigs. 📚🎶 Christine

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  21. In Kentucky, Buford and Bubba decided to have some fun for 10 year olds on Halloween. They went around tipping over outhouses.
    The next day, Bubba’s daddy pulled him out of bed by the collar and asked, “Were you and that Buford tipping over outhouses last night!?”
    Quickly remembering his school learnin’ Bubba remembered how George Washington confessed to cutting down a cherry tree and was not punished because he was so honest. “Yes, Daddy, we was tipping outhouses last night.”
    Daddy grabbed a hickory switch and started whalin’ the tar out of Bubba’s behind!
    “But Daddy,” Bubba objected, George Washington told the truth about cuttin’ down a cherry tree and his daddy didn’t whump him!”
    “Yeah,” Daddy replied, “but I bet George’s Daddy wasn’t IN the cherry tree!” 😂

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  23. Your father’s saying cracked me up. Never heard it before. I cannot fathom a building that size! And Dan, your reflection photo is incredible. This is your second one that blew me away. Wow!

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    • I’m trying to figure out where to get the best views of that structure. It’s set back from the road a good distance, and they closed the only street that let you get a good view. I might have to take it from the shoulder of the highway.

      I love reflections. I’m glad others enjoy them.

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  25. Oh yugh! re the mud! Boys will be boys … but can feel that weather – just so happy we’ve had a bit of sun this week … a good start to the new year. Ice-skating rink … how long will it be there … til the end of Feb?

    Amazon … enough said – sadly they’re ubiquitous now …cheers Hilary

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    • The skating rink will last into March, but there will be plenty of days when the ice won’t be strong enough for skating. This is Amazon’s 4th warehouse within a 10-mile radius. So much cargo coming and going at the airport and this one is on the highway.

      Boy in our house were boys, including our father. Mom never had a chance.

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  26. Charlie always said, “The house looks like a pig sty!” Usually if there was a stack of my papers and such on the corner of the kitchen counter. Not if the whole house was cluttered with HIS things. lol

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