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Sep. 17th, 2009 11:11 pmI think I might have linked to this site years ago, but I don't know for sure. Anyway, I just spent a while at the History Map web site and found it fascinating. There are city maps, regional maps, bird's eye views, and all sorts of stuff covering several centuries.
For example, I now know what Baxter Springs, Kansas, looked like in 1871. It's true that I could have gotten through the rest of my life without that knowledge and never missed it, but now that I have it, it pleases me, though it remains unlikely to bring me any benefits beyond that. In other words, the couple of hours I spent looking at those old maps was time well wasted. And it distracted me from the cicada racket for a while, and that alone makes it a valuable experience.
The bird next door has added a cat's meow to its repertoire of vocalizations. I'm hoping no cats will fight within the bird's range of hearing. It's a good thing the bird sleeps most of the night. If it were awake now it might learn to imitate the buzz of the cicadas.
Watermelon. It might be the last good one of the season. The casabas vanished last week. I guess I can console myself with the thought of pears, pomegranates, and persimmons that will ripen in the coming months.
For example, I now know what Baxter Springs, Kansas, looked like in 1871. It's true that I could have gotten through the rest of my life without that knowledge and never missed it, but now that I have it, it pleases me, though it remains unlikely to bring me any benefits beyond that. In other words, the couple of hours I spent looking at those old maps was time well wasted. And it distracted me from the cicada racket for a while, and that alone makes it a valuable experience.
The bird next door has added a cat's meow to its repertoire of vocalizations. I'm hoping no cats will fight within the bird's range of hearing. It's a good thing the bird sleeps most of the night. If it were awake now it might learn to imitate the buzz of the cicadas.
Watermelon. It might be the last good one of the season. The casabas vanished last week. I guess I can console myself with the thought of pears, pomegranates, and persimmons that will ripen in the coming months.
