hip·po·cam·pus
p-kmps)
n. pl. hip·po·cam·pi (-p
)
A ridge in the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain that consists mainly of gray matter and has a central role in memory processes.
[Late Latin, a sea horse with a horse's forelegs and a dolphin's tail (from its shape in cross section), from Greek hippokampos : hippos, horse; see ekwo- in Indo-European roots + kampos, sea monster.]
hippo·campal (-pl) adj.
What amazes me is all the things that nature publishes. I was leaning on a gate last summer, here in England. Before me was the farmer's barley field. In the corner of this field, near where I was surveying, was a whole big orchestra of wild flowers, of all shapes, colors, sizes and perfumes. . . .i-gizmo? dreaming of being home in bed then not Peering, closer, a grasshopper caught my eye and this changed the focal length of my observations. Down there in the small, slowly but slowly, a whole metropolis of riveting busyness. Then the grasshopper hopped again and I got distracted trying to get a snap of it with my trusty digital Kodak compact. (No joy, same as butterflies - needs a heavenly mandate or something to get shots of these things.) Anyway. Then I surveyed the field again and looped back to the flowers. There must have been millions of individual pieces of living beauty (not counting patterns made by the wind, and the cumulus clouds aligned to some geo-magnetic invisibility and prevailing winds up there). Then the thought came. The aha thing. All these not-famous people were never gonna make the headlines and be recorded in the cultural history books after living a life of old Riley. They were simply perfect and outstanding at their particular job. No big deal - nothing special. Just getting on with it for free. Then it was time to go home for a cuppa, like. . . .jp
29-01-12
