February 27, 2008

Je Ne Regrette Rien . . . except for . . .

Deron’s comments about wild hogs in north central Texas call to mind one of my few regrets.

Jon and Allen and I were camping and hiking in Nevada and Arizona (if I stop to recall where this happened I’ll never set it down), and somewhere along our wandering trail I came upon the severed foot (or trotter) of a wild hog (or javelina — or peccary). I wanted in the worst possible way to pocket it as a sort of token or fetish, but I could tell that Allen was troubled by the sight of the thing and thoughts of the creature’s suffering, so I let it lie where I’d spotted it. And more frequently than you might suspect, I think back on that severed foot with longing and regret.

posted by in animals, found, humans, nature | * | 4 comments 

comments

  1. Rick Neece on February 28th, 2008 at 5:31 am

    You can get a whole jar full of those at the IGA in Pocahontas.

  2. Alek Lindus on February 28th, 2008 at 9:05 am

    poignant totems eh?

  3. Sheila Ryan on February 28th, 2008 at 9:27 am

    Indeed, Alek — though apparently jars of poignant totems pickled in brine are sold in the marketplace in such places as Pocahontas, Arkansas.

  4. Alek Lindus on February 28th, 2008 at 9:28 am

    thats some bulk poignancy then

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