Snow covers sins in design and the debris of Swinus Americanus. It’s a perfect time to show you a few things near the end of the millpond where the water descends into oblivion. Each of these images is linked to a larger one that shows more detail. Standing on the Main Street sidewalk (above), you look northward. In the far end, you can see the Tridge. In the foreground is the “ice tunnel.” It has enclosed the falls, about 5′ tall, at the dam. The rocks on the right support the dam and look like rubble when they aren’t covered in snow.
The photo on the left (below) was taken at the fence on the far left of the above picture. The resident ducks have a small patch of open water in which to swim. A snow-covered octopus is in the center. Yes, an octopus. It’s part of Brighton’s effort to toss sculpture around downtown. Whoever placed this whimsical sculpture in this terrible place ought to be fired. It’s a fun piece and deserves to be mounted above the water so people can see it without having a fence within a foot of it. Harumph.
Standing on the small bridge in the above picture, you look to the southeast (below, right) over the top of the dam. The millpond cascades into a cement chasm and culvert that whisks the water under Main Street, the shops, and parking lots behind them. It emerges a block away. On this snowy morning at 5am, a yellow salt truck blurred by as I was taking this picture. Except for it, there was no sound or movement other than the occasional quack from a disturbed duck.
Swinus Americanus don’t migrate. They remain in Michigan throughout the year and the crap they leave on their trail will become more apparent at the end of winter when the snow reveals all of it. This beverage landed upright after being dropped from the boardwalk about 8 feet above it. Note that none of it splashed out because the 2″ of soft snow cushioned the impact.
I have a hunch this drink was being consumed by the Serial Symbologist I’ve previously mentioned. Notice how the straw provides us with a directional clue. It points directly to the historic cemetery at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 100 yards away. The symbologist full message is surely, “The cemetery is nearby for those who consume vile green beverages that look radioactive.” Prove me wrong.
You’ll never see an image like this at FruitoftheLoom.com! When my dad would see something like this, he’d look at me and say, “Evidence of Swinus Americanus,” and wink. I thought that was one of his clever original lines, but I typed it in Google today and found 78 references to it. The earliest I could find was in 1909, the year he was born.
I found these at about midnight within 4 feet of the millpond. In plain sight, not on some darkened path. It was on a Friday night in June. Not even a drunk teen would dare skinny dipping in the millpond because of the duck and goose droppings. I’m sure there’s a story. I’m content not knowing the details. Had I been thinking clearly, I should have encased this as a visual representation of 2009 and sent it to the Smithsonian.
