Tamia Nelson's Outside » Absent Friends

Beyond the Beauty Strip for October 2010 Hidden in Plain Sight

Tamia Nelson — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 07:01:43 +0000

There's a lot hidden in plain sight on America's highways, but few things escape the attention of cyclists and walkers…

Road Toll

Tamia Nelson — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:01:50 +0000

A steady stream of cars passed me, each one driven by someone who was in a terrible hurry to go… Where? Work? The HyperMart in town? Or the post office just half a mile ahead? In any event, they gave me plenty of room as they sped by me, and the bumper stickers on most of the SUVs, extend-cab pickups, and vans proclaimed their owners' abiding love of the environment and deep personal commitment to the green lifestyle. Perhaps the drivers were communicating the depth of this devotion to friends or coworkers as they hurtled along. At least that's one explanation for the many hands that I saw cupped tight against ears. The drivers sat in splendid isolation in air-conditioned comfort, watching the landscape unfold at 50 mph, as their lips moved soundlessly, imparting (or receiving) some message too urgent to be postponed, even for the 30 seconds or so it would take to reach the post office parking lot. I could usually pick out the urgent communicators while they were still some distance behind me, a characteristic swerve invariably signaling the moment when they realized something was in their path. I was that something,…

Absent Friends: Killing Time

Tamia Nelson — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 07:01:53 +0000

It's summertime—in the northern hemisphere, at any rate—and the living is easy. Then again, the dying is pretty easy, too.…

Absent Friends: Face-to-Face With the Butcher’s Bill

Tamia Nelson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:01:38 +0000

This whitetail deer died sometime in the last week. I can't be sure what killed her. Was it a collision with a motor vehicle? Or was she shot by a hunter and what remained of her carcass left alongside this wooded side road? It's big game season here, and it's also mating season for whitetails, so the deer are on the move. There are a lot of them in this part of the country, and some folks consider them a nuisance. But whatever your feelings for deer, it takes a hard heart to not be moved when you come upon a scene like this one…

Absent Friends: A Global Tragedy

Tamia Nelson — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 04:01:44 +0000

My article about a porcupine killed by a motorist struck a chord in Brazil. Cyclist Helton Moreas was moved to write and tell me about a friend, Lauro Haber, who cycled through Brazil from north to south, and who photographer this motor vehicle-killed tamandu´ mirim. Lauro has given permission for us to include his photo in our "Absent Friends" gallery.

“What Good is a Dead Tree!”

Tamia Nelson — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 04:01:52 +0000

The Expert scarcely paused. He looked at his watch. Then he grinned at his companion. Their hurried approach had sent a flock of finches exploding into the air. Neither man noticed. The Expert's eyes flicked briefly over the old pine. He didn't see the squirrel in the pool of shade at his feet. He didn't see the chipmunk on the branch above his head. He saw only twisted limbs and brown needles. He turned back to his companion. “What good is a dead tree?” the Expert joked. Both men laughed. It was a rhetorical question. "Just go in there and rip it out," the Expert said. "Put in something pretty." His companion nodded. They moved on.

"What good is a dead tree?" The Expert was sure he knew the answer. He was wrong, of course. A pair of young jays tried to set him straight. But the Expert wasn't in a listening mood. He sprinted away, his chubby companion struggling to keep up. Time is money, after all. And Experts don't come cheap.

How true. Now here's another way to count the cost…

Absent Friends: Face-to-Face With the Butcher’s Bill

Tamia Nelson — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:01:38 +0000

Don't turn away from the awful scene. Take a moment to reflect. To think about the life that was. It's only right.

This porcupine died the day before I came by on my bike…