“Easy! Where’s that getcha?”

The Movie: Magnificent Obsession, 1954 (Robert Blees, screenwriter, from the book by Lloyd C. Douglas; Douglas Sirk, dir.)
Who says it: Rock Hudson as wastrel playboy (and later selfless doctor) Bob Merrick
The context: Bob’s girlfriend Valerie (Sara Shane) calls to him to take it easy as he revs his speedboat, just before he wrecks it.
How to use it: When throwing caution to the wind. Look out for that…$#*@!

The return of the sun, after so much rain, has sparked an explosion of growth. Dizzy and I walked by the Cobbosseecontee today and Dizzy -- or, okay, Dizzy's owner -- pretended he was a lion on the African savannah, making his way through the long grass in pursuit of prey. Dizzy's never even seen grass this tall. Dandelion puffballs and buttercups have grown so high that they look like completely different species.

The one piece of all this growth that puzzles me is a thriving stand of bamboo, right along Water Street, about a quarter mile from the heart of town. Bamboo is not something I'd expect to see in central Maine, although it can grow almost anywhere; someone must have planted it. Maybe it's like those butterfly gardens, someone trying to create a habitat for a particular kind of wildlife. Whoever planted it might have been hoping to attract pandas. I can't wait to see if that works.

This morning I must deliver Dizzy to the kind people at the At Home Veterinary Care clinic, for shots and a flea bath and a few days of boarding while I drive around lower New England. I'll be back Sunday, but will post from the road in the meantime.