Robert (gurdonark) wrote,
Robert
gurdonark

Mate in 2

One of my postal chess opponents, facing checkmate in two, resigned. This was a nice miniature (under twenty moves) in which my London System opening transposed into a very favorable bad-bishop-already-exchanged Stonewall Attack, leading to a very early conclusion. My style is usually pretty quiet, so it was fun to play in a game with a bit of tactical fun. This leaves some five games still to play in this tournament. In one I am fairly likely lost, in another the other side has an edge, another is draw-ish and two more are too early to project.

This morning when I arrived at work I noticed one of the parking lot Northern Mockingbirds was very agitated. At first I thought the object of its ire was an American Crow. Then I saw that a Cooper's Hawk atop a light pole held a prey. I could not see the prey. The Northern Mockingbird guarded the next tree over, but it had no help in its effort to repulse the hawk.

I feel it wrong to begrudge a raptor a meal, but I hope that the prey was not one of the two younger Northern Mockingbirds who hang out in that parking lot. Indirectly, I suppose I then end up wishing ill upon the local doves, but I hope I am indirectly somehow more reconciled to nature than all that.


At lunch I drove to our old office, as some mail accidentally went to our address from a couple of years ago. A kind person gave me the small package. I then ate at the local Boston Market, where I used to eat a few times a week. None of the staff were the same as the old days. They were all earnest, if a bit inefficient, but my meal was grand. After lunch I went to Troth Ablon Park, where I saw Blue Jays, Eastern Phoebes and a Carolina Wren but got no great photos.

Now I am home. The movie "Legend" is on television. Beatrice is on the rug. The world is in good order.
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