Jack: Hey Deacon, what brings you up into these remote parts? I’ve just got the fire started for some morning coffee. Take a load off those weary old bones of yours, and you can have some. And I’m going to have a few pancakes before I set off today. We can share those too if you want some. I’ve got a dab of honey left, and some blackberries to go with it.

Deacon: I was camping over at Curry’s Grove and thought I’d make a quick trip across Hook’s Pass this morning to see you. I’d like to invite you to come to town weekend after next to go to church with me. We’re having a special Religious Toleration Sunday, and we’re all out collecting people of different faiths to tolerate that Sunday.

Yowie: Shhh! Please! Just sit down and be quiet for a bit.

(10 minutes pass.)

Yowie: Hey Jack, glad to see you. What makes you come this way this morning?

Jack: I didn’t mean to interrupt your meditation. I just saw a patch of bright blue among the trees and decided to take a detour off Thistle Trail and look at it. I’m on my way up to Brokeneck Cliff for a day or two.

Yowie: Meditation. Schmeditation. I wasn’t meditating at all. I was just sitting here being an animated part of the scenery this morning along Cold Creek. There’s an incredible lightness of being when I’m not Yowie, or Grandma, and nothing takes notice of me except to see if I’m going to eat them or they can eat me.

Jack: Hey Banjo. I’m glad you could stop by the campfire tonight.

Banjo: Here’s your newspaper. I brought it from town today.

Jack: What’s this water stain on the newspaper, and is this toothpaste? Have you been reading my newspaper in the bathroom again?

Banjo: Well, I suppose I was.

Jack: Suppose? C’mon. You did or you didn’t.

Banjo: Not to change the subject, but there was an interesting article in it about the Enron bigwigs. They were found guilty of stealing money and cheating investors.

Jack: “Not to change the subject?” That’s exactly what you were doing.

Banjo: Anyhow, they should go to jail forever for cheating people like that.

This is a place for campfire wisdom if there are visitors, warmth for cooking or sleeping, or temporary respite from things that yowl in the night.

Posts in this category are in the spirit of friendly speculation about life, how things work, the mystery of the universes, and whatever else strikes the mind lightly.