Rambles, Rants ‘n’ Tangential Tales - Part 1
Sifting Clues
“There are some very strange things going on here.” — Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Peter Sellers), The Pink Panther [1963]
In two seasons of developing dryland stories for readers, several times I’ve activated the story length advisory (provided by algorithm-driven monitors at Substack, who speak kindly in orange banners), with plenty left to cover on a topic. After a time I decided to start grouping some stories into short series with a common thread, as some readers have noted.
For the next two weeks, I’ll be with some companions on a wild and scenic river, chasing its waters to a confluence just downstream from the deepest canyon of North America. As I journey into this world of water, stone, sand, and vibrant riparian life, I hope you’ll visit (or revisit) some of these series from the first 6 months of Water Into Stone, presented here in context. Come mid-May, I’ll be back with new tales and pics from the trip!
Up first, a 3-part look at dryland water realities, with a short detour through a multi-generational fantasy, the still popular art of rainmaking…
Aquifers: Principal, Secondary, and Going, going...?
Come ride along as we journey through a dryland conundrum… “Little by little the sky was darkened by the mixing dust, and the wind felt over the earth, loosened the dust, and carried it away. The wind grew stronger. The rain crust broke and the dust lifted up out of the fields and drove gray plumes into the air like sluggish smoke…” John Steinbeck [The G…
…and four tales of ingenuity, with asides of hubris, as we all try to adjust to changing climates, economies and customs. Thanks for journeying along…
“You continue to surprise me, Inspector.” — Gendarme Gilbert Ponton (Jean Reno)
“Get used to it, Ponton. With me, surprises are rarely unexpected.” — Inspector Jacques Clouseau (Steve Martin), in The Pink Panther: Get A Clue [2006]
Distributed, Disabused
Here’s some recent chatter on my town’s social media platform: “Some stranger came to our door today. He was wearing tan pants, black jacket…” “Two guys in black jackets and caps were on my cul-de-sac…” “Anyone know the guy’s name? We just had a solar guy stop by…”
Up next, we’ll be rambling along with some of characters, dreamers and high fliers who’ve made the drylands a part of their home range, with: Rambles, Rants ‘n’ Tangential Tales - Part 2. Until then, let’s help each enjoy our beautiful planet. -B.
Here’s an essay on gratitude from humorist/author/raconteur Garrison Keillor:
