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October 19, 2007
Crooked Man
This is a Stile. And this one happens to be across the road from Stonehenge.
Lady Penelope pointed this out to me when I visited. On my own I'd have been able to figure out what it was used for (a person can get in and out of the field using it but animals, most likely, can't), but I'd have never come up with what it was called. When Lady Penelope mentioned it was a stile it triggered a memory, but one that didn't fully form. It seemed I knew a song or poem involving a stile, but I wasn't able to pull it out of the memory banks.
Today, as I rode The Mighty Schwinn through the country, I rolled by a fence (miles and mile of fences, actually) and a portion of it reminded me of the bit in the photo — even though the bit I rolled by lacked any stile whatsoever.
As the word stile popped into myconsciousnesss I caught myself thinking:
There was a crooked man,
Who walked a crooked mile.
He found a crooked sixpence
Upon a crooked stile.
He bought a crooked cat,
Who chased a crooked mouse.
And they all lived together
In a little crooked house.
I just think it's interesting how the mind works. I wish mine would work to help me find my better camera. (For the record, I think it's in the back of the van somewhere.)
Posted by delmer at October 19, 2007 7:58 PM
Comments
My mind works that way also. It's wonderful sometimes, but irritating other times. The Brits used to have "ha ha's" as well as stiles. I wonder if they still do.
Posted by: Missy at October 21, 2007 7:54 PM
I'd never heard of a Ha Ha before. Wikipedia has an entry (naturally) for them.
I can only assume that I'll run across a Ha Ha in 30 years or so and wonder where I'd heard of them before; a month later I'll remember your blog comment. :-)
Posted by: delmer at October 22, 2007 12:05 AM
I guess the only response to that is "ha ha." ;-)
Posted by: Missy at October 22, 2007 1:42 AM
I asume she forgot to show you the alternative to the stile: the kissing gate........:D
Posted by: Jack at October 22, 2007 6:13 AM
I like this from the Wiki entry: "...it is considered good form for all everyone passing through a kissing gate to exchange kisses in this way (provided all parties are known to and friendly with each other)." "It is considered good form"...I love the English.
Posted by: Icy Mt. at October 22, 2007 4:28 PM
Unless your walking through with a dude!
Posted by: mikeo at October 22, 2007 9:03 PM