Cul de Sac by Richard Thompson for September 29, 2019

The only “artistic vision” I see Petey has is with his shoebox dioramas.

Once again, a little over 10 years ago, a blog entry preceded this strip: 

http://richardspooralmanac.blogspot.com/2009/09/apotheosis-of-alice.html

Petey’s artistic vision is just several shades more ………….. static.

Dill’s Alice’s muscle…

When I was ten years old, I walked home from school every day. I made a habit of shortcutting between buildings or hedges, through neutral property between residences, to make my trip take as few steps as possible. The shortest distance in a particular segment of my walk carried me right over a storm drain cover, like the one Alice dances on. A small step up, one across, one down. It was so automatic to me that I barely looked at where I was going except when crossing a street.

One day, the cast iron cover had been partly pulled to one side. I have no idea by who or why. But when I stepped up on it, the thing turned sideways and looked down to see my feet and legs dropping into a dark space down a concrete tube. I had a split second to do it, but I managed to catch myself on the rim of the hole, pressing down with both hands, bracing myself just before I’d have fallen in entirely.

But the precariously balanced cover began to shift back once my weight was sliding off it, and it began pivot shut… to squeeze my thighs between the heavy iron lid and the concrete frame it rested on. The thing was very heavy, and squeezed me painfully.

I must have had an adrenaline surge… because I found the strength to heave my self up and out before I’d have been severely pinched between lid and frame. I managed to rip my jeans, lose a shoe into the depths, and scrape my knees and calves badly.

I had a lot of ‘splainin’ to do when I got home. But I really think I was in mortal danger there for a moment. You never forget a close call like that.

I never walked over one again, much less danced on one.

Reality check Petey – nobody cares whether or not you see it.

Timmy Fretwork’s personal guardian angel makes an appearance.

A classic!

No. Just heave a clod of mulch upside his head. Or bide your time, and tonight move one of his beans over into his potatoes.

My mother was insistent that we should never walk over any kind of grate, as it could collapse under us. To this day, I avoid them.

Have you ever crawled into the neighborhood sewer? I have. Many times.

Dill, destined to grow up and become a Mob Enforcer?! I will not believe it!

Trouble with Artistic Vision is that some folks have more of it than of Artistry….