Hullo my dear oddlings.
Please allow me to direct you to my online journal, which I update daily: http://theoddluminary.com/blog/
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I do hope you'll visit me.
25 August 2011
10 August 2011
Selcouth
I have spent two days underground, exploring the newly unearthed canal beneath the house. August has brought many storms to Brooklyn, and this past week we had some earth-shattering thunder-bashings. Literally earth-shattering, considering that the lightening and thunder knocked loose a wall of the catacombs and instead of packed mud and earth, I saw an opening. I cleared away the debris to discover a canal, running east/west, through a tunnel-like cavern.
Bubo and I spent much of yesterday in the grotto, as we’ve taken to calling it. The temperature is a good bit cooler within the grotto, and the humidity feels high. I will be testing it later today with some instruments specifically made for that.
This morning, I took my coffee into the grotto. From clearing away the wall in the catacombs, I’ve managed to create a sitting area overlooking the canal. I sipped my coffee and watched the water tumble past. It’s surprisingly light and clear down there, leading me to believe that there are clearings in the tunnel roof and walls allowing sunlight to pour in. Unless, perhaps, this is not an abandoned waterway at all, and there are lights lining the walls. I’ve not explored very far, yet. I’m still taking readings of pH levels of the water. The fact that it smells like beef stew after 6 pm is fascinating. And makes me wonder if the canal is in fact filled with beef stew and not pure Brooklyn water. So many questions to answer!
This discovery leads me to today’s word.
Selcouth is an adjective meaning unusual, strange, rare, uncommon or wonderful. It is from the Middle English, in turn from the Old English selcūþ, seldcūþ – “unusual, unwonted, little known, unfamiliar, novel, rare” – which, in turn, are from seld + cūþ (known).
This grotto, this canal, are certainly selcouth, wouldn’t you say? Could it lead me into the Paerdegat Basin? Is it made of beef stew? Is it still used as a secret waterway? Does it meander through the entire Atlantic Coast, or is it Brooklyn-specific?
I’m putting the finishing touches on an exploration boat – think Dr. Livingstone meets Cleopatra’s barge – to fully explore with Bubo. Would you join me? It promises to be a selcouth journey.
Bubo and I spent much of yesterday in the grotto, as we’ve taken to calling it. The temperature is a good bit cooler within the grotto, and the humidity feels high. I will be testing it later today with some instruments specifically made for that.
This morning, I took my coffee into the grotto. From clearing away the wall in the catacombs, I’ve managed to create a sitting area overlooking the canal. I sipped my coffee and watched the water tumble past. It’s surprisingly light and clear down there, leading me to believe that there are clearings in the tunnel roof and walls allowing sunlight to pour in. Unless, perhaps, this is not an abandoned waterway at all, and there are lights lining the walls. I’ve not explored very far, yet. I’m still taking readings of pH levels of the water. The fact that it smells like beef stew after 6 pm is fascinating. And makes me wonder if the canal is in fact filled with beef stew and not pure Brooklyn water. So many questions to answer!
This discovery leads me to today’s word.
Selcouth is an adjective meaning unusual, strange, rare, uncommon or wonderful. It is from the Middle English, in turn from the Old English selcūþ, seldcūþ – “unusual, unwonted, little known, unfamiliar, novel, rare” – which, in turn, are from seld + cūþ (known).
This grotto, this canal, are certainly selcouth, wouldn’t you say? Could it lead me into the Paerdegat Basin? Is it made of beef stew? Is it still used as a secret waterway? Does it meander through the entire Atlantic Coast, or is it Brooklyn-specific?
I’m putting the finishing touches on an exploration boat – think Dr. Livingstone meets Cleopatra’s barge – to fully explore with Bubo. Would you join me? It promises to be a selcouth journey.
06 August 2011
I don't know how the weather is where you are, but here on my side of the hill in deepest, darkest Brooklyn, we had quite the lightening storm. I was sketching ideas for my shrinking violet experiment when I heard an ear-splitting crash.
It might have been lightening striking. It might have been a dragon-gone-crazy. I might never know what happened, really. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that there is now an additional opening in the catacombs. And that opening reveals a small canal.
It's a small opening, about the size of a medium-sized ottoman, and the temperature within is approximately ten degrees colder than the rest of the catacombs.
The canal seems to be running east/west.
I am gathering supplies and beginning my explorations at sun up.
It might have been lightening striking. It might have been a dragon-gone-crazy. I might never know what happened, really. It doesn't matter. What does matter is that there is now an additional opening in the catacombs. And that opening reveals a small canal.
It's a small opening, about the size of a medium-sized ottoman, and the temperature within is approximately ten degrees colder than the rest of the catacombs.
The canal seems to be running east/west.
I am gathering supplies and beginning my explorations at sun up.
05 August 2011
Breakfast debate with Phil over what Saturn's rings taste like. I say dust. He says cocoa. Who's to say who's right and who's wrong?
http://ping.fm/2CGHc
http://ping.fm/2CGHc
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