Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Who is that couple? & Paradise Lost

A reader submitted the illustration shown today. The opinion of the reader was that it was likely I had been the model for the "wolfish looking gentleman," but wondered who might have been the model for the young lady. Well, my suspicion is that the illustration is very old and was based on some story involving Fram the First. Which means, of course, I have no direct knowledge of the identity of the young lady. It is too bad the illustration is not in color. I think color might reveal more clues regarding both these individuals.

Paradise Lost ....

Part I:

In one of my other "incarnations" (not in another time, this was only a few years ago), I was not living in a metro area. I was living in the country, not in a wilderness setting, but in a quiet, somewhat secluded place, in a nice house surrounded by seven acres of partially-cleared woodland.

The house was atop a ridge line, and there was a clear view at least a mile or two in any direction and five or six miles in a couple of directions. The view was of woodland and water, with an occasional house on another hilltop and some lake homes three or four miles off across the water.

My house was the last one on a mile and one-half of private road. It was about a quarter-mile to the next nearest home. My acreage was designed so that no one could ever build closer to me than that quarter-mile on two sides, while the other two sides were undeveloped federal woodland.

The only negative part of the location (to me) was that it was not actually on the water. But, I could live with it (or, rather, without it). There was a state-operated boat launch ramp and a public swimming beach about two and one-half miles away and out of sight from my house.

In the morning, I could get up, grab a cup of coffee and, if I wished, go out on the second floor deck and fire off 10 rounds (or 1,000) at a series of targets I had set up at varying distances out to about 40 yards. I had a 60-yard range set up in another area, and a walk-through-the-woods combat course. See me smiling?

It was a rare day when there were not deer and wild turkeys waltzing through the yard. Rabbits, squirrels, dozens of bird varieties including eagles were present year-round. In the spring, millions (I would estimate) of geese would fly over going north. For three days or more, night and day, as far as a person could see in all directions, there would be geese in flight. Monarch butterflies came through on migration in late August or early September. For a night or two, the leaves on trees would be replaced by butterflies.

Coyotes passed through the yard regularly. A few times, under a full moon in winter, I was awakened by a chorus of howling coyotes, who had literally surrounded the house and were only a few feet away. Mountain lions occasionally were sighted in the area, but never any by me (unfortunately).

For the uninitiated who might be wondering how I could be spewing hot lead from my deck and have such a vast number of critters hanging out, the answer is simple. It seems most birds and many animals know the difference between target shooting and hunting. Seriously. I could be at a bench shooting, and 10 yards behind me, birds would be flocking at the feeders. I could quit shooting, walk into the house, look out a window and see three or four does with their fawns come walking through the yard.

Anyway, it no longer is mine. What I considered to be a refuge from the world might be considered isolation from the world by another. I can understand that, but I wish "another" would have figured it out beforehand rather than after the fact.

Music Note: Listening to Metallica
Specifically, "Garage, Inc." ....
Some out of sequence lines from "Whiskey in the Jar:"

She swore that she'd love me, no, never would she leave me
But the devil take that woman, for you know she tricked me easy

Being drunk and weary I went to Molly's chamber
Taking money with me and I never knew the danger

Now some men like the fishing and some men like the fowling
And some men like to hear, to hear the cannonball a-roaring
Me I like sleeping, especially in my Molly's chamber
But here I am in prison, here I am with a ball and chain

Musha rain dum-a-do-dum-a-da
Whack for my daddy-o
Whack for my daddy-o
There's whiskey in the jar-o
Whiskey in the jar-o

Musha rain dum-a-do-dum-a-da
Musha rain dum-a-do-dum-a-da
Musha rain dum-a-do-dum-a-da
Musha rain dum-a-do-dum-a-da

12 comments:

Rachael Cassidy said...

Another girl, another wolf. Another house, another life.

Gives me something to think about.

I'll be back later after my ponderings straighten out. :)

TheChicGeek said...

Hi Fram :) Such a beautiful place to live. I think I would never want to leave. It's interesting that the animals can tell the difference between target shooting and hunting. Animals are so intuitive. I think humans can learn a lot from the animals :)

You can't fool me, Fram...I recognize your charming self under the covers up there :D
The picture suits you well...LOL

Fram Actual said...

Life is either acceptance of what is or a search for what might be, I think, Rachael.

Some people actually are happy, others delude themselves into believing they are happy, and still others are on an endless search for happiness -- or so it seems.

By the way, I have mentioned this in the past, but before you began to stop by for visits: "Fram" is the Norwegian word meaning "forward." That is the reason I selected it to represent me.

Fram Actual said...

It was beautiful, Kelly, and I thought of it as a refuge for birds and animals, as well as for myself.

There is much to learn from animals, things like how to give undemanding affection from the "pets" who live with us, and how to co-exist with nature from those in the wild.

Well, if you do not mind too much, let's just blame Fram the First for the expression on the young lady's face and leave me out of this one.

Katy said...

Your house sounds amazing. Is that the place you call 'Sanctuary'? Please forgive me if I am wrong about the identity of your home, but it sounds like a sanctuary in anyone's language. :-)

You expressed to me on one of my previous posts about how much you thought I must miss the barn, and I can see why you understand this so well from your own experience. One does move on, live and learn, forgive, forget, or any selection from that bag, and I'd not return to the barn now - its time has gone for me forever. But like you perhaps, I should think that fate had smiled upon me very kindly if I was to have the chance to live somewhere similar again.

The wild animals and birds you had as neighbours and passing travellers sound divine. Thank you for telling us about this Fram.

TheChicGeek said...

Hi Fram :) I'm back...I like when you said, "Life is either acceptance of what is or a search for what might be." That was nice :D

Fram Actual said...

It was rather a peaceful place to be most of the time, Katy.

My first name for it was "Sanctuary." An event or two taught me that there is no such thing as sanctuary on earth, so I began referring to it as "Refuge." Somewhere along the line, I began calling it "Sanctuary / Refuge" when I wrote about it so that it would be clear I meant one place = the same place.

My attitude toward leaving this place, or your barn, is that the journey away is akin to an airplane flight crossing the ocean. Somewhere along the way, you pass the point of no return. I know I have passed mine.

Thank you, for reading about this.

Fram Actual said...

Well, Kelly, thank you, very much.

Actually, it was Fram the First who was heard to utter those words when he set out to sack Rome in 1009. He gifts those words as intellectual property to you.

Rachael Cassidy said...

Fram. Forward. I like that. Makes me wonder then what your "real" name is... I just fling mine out there for the world to see..!
More thinking on all the "anothers." I have had several (an)other lives, and I choose to be happy in the one I am currently in. Though I do wish for another new life. One that is very similar to that place/home you described on a large piece of land...one that involves self-sufficiency and living as much off the land as I am willing to work for. This other life invariably has another similar soul to share it with who cherishes it as much as I do. Have I found this person yet? Maybe, but he lives yet another life with complications and joys of it's own. Ahhh if only the world were tilted just a teeny tiny bit differently!!!

A Cuban In London said...

Your surroundings looked the business, my friend. Paradise Lost indeed. You reigned in hell better than serve in heaven :-). And with wild beasts to accompany you, too!

Wonderfult tale. Hmmm... 'Whiskey in the Jar' from 'Garage Inc'. Give me Thin Lizzy any time, mate :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TehFZ38kt6o

Greetings from London.

Fram Actual said...

I have gotten to know a few people whose lifestyle ranged from living as I did, in rather close to the modern world yet very secluded from it in terms of sights and sounds, to some who live in real isolation and are entirely self-sustaining. A point maybe halfway between those two might suit me best.

No matter what lifestyle a person has, I think one that is shared is far superior to one that is lived alone.

It has been my experience that the world often tilts when a person least expects it, Rachael. Sometimes there is nothing to do but take a deep breath and hang on for the ride.

Fram Actual said...

We definitely are on the same wave length today, CiL. I love that line from "Paradise Lost." Hopefully, within a year or two, I will be writing my own "Paradise Regained," as well.

And, as a matter of fact, I prefer the Thin Lizzy version of "Whiskey in the Jar" myself. I had "Wild One" out just a week or two ago, but used "The Boys Are Back in Town" for my model that day.

Thank you, CiL.

Something special ....