Ramble with Storm: Dating references

Mulling things on my morning ramble with Storm, the family’s mixed Lab.

On the far edge of extended ramble, in the mix of red clover and tall grass, grasshoppers exploded out on all sides before dawn.

First I had noticed that many. But it is not unusual for late summer or early fall.

And I thought to myself, “Ah, grasshopper.”

Then wondered it that reference to the old Kung Fu TV series dated me and was completely unknown to, say somebody younger than 30.

Which naturally made me wonder if anybody under 30 knows about the the famous Jack Weinberg saying from the ’60s: “Don’t trust anyone over 30.”

Speaking of references. One of my older brothers sent a story about seeing a “rafter” of turkeys over the weekend.

I have written about hunting wild turkeys for nearly 20 years, hunted them for nearly 40 and read about their reintroduction for about 45 years and don’t ever remember that term being used.

But I tread carefully because my brother is a scientist, a recently retired prof who was department head.

All the same, I think it is an arcane usage. Wild turkeys in the 21st Century come in flocks.

Some reason, also on the far end of the extended ramble, there was a golf ball. I guess why not practice your swing out on the fringe.

Fish were surfacing on the north old clay pit, both largemouth bass with harder eruptions and the dimpling from what I assume were bluegill or redear.

As I was watching to see if I could see how big the bass were, I noticed a green heron flying low over the water. If I had not been watching for the bass, I would never have seen the heron.

A belted kingfisher squawked on the south pit, but it disappeared before I could find it.

Color change comes faster than usual, as the photo at the top shows. I suspect it has to do with the extreme dryness as much as anything.

Back on the edge of town, there were a few mourning doves this morning, but not many.

A street from home, the meathead did his obligatory hustling of a gray squirrel up a decorative fruit tree.

You could say, it is his reference point.