tim’s thought property

The littlest one of the Clan, affectionately called Pip, is probably the most interesting character I have ever met. She is a ten year old of which words cannot really describe. Imaginative, is one thing she is. Pip is also quite random in the things she says, filling in the tangents from one topic to another in her mind, only producing the end product, which ends up being a few degrees away from the leading point. For more anecdotal references, one might look here. It will paint a more complete picture and provide definition and precedence.

This little episode had taken place at a dinner, while I was in Lethbridge at the house of some friends of Sarah’s family. So as we all were dining in the sun room, a deer slowly saunters up the coulee and begins to nibble on the grass. Pip, being the young excitable that she is, left the table to see the deer up close. As she ventured outside, many of us were cautioning her approach from the table. “Not too fast, now.” “Go slowly.” And of course, being the ten year old that she is, she knows this advice. I then proceed to get up with my camera to document this wildlife and wild-hearted. Our hosts bring out a bowl of baby carrots to give to Pip, to feed the deer.

With more advice from the table, “Toss them gently.” “Let it eat them before you throw more.” “Don’t try to scare it.” the little one proceeds to do things her way. The deer turns and walks down the coulee, and Pip decides to follow it. At this point, wanting the deer to return, Pip is now lobbing the carrots as well as she can, (this resulting in a short four-foot over-hand toss) to the deer, it’s back and it’s general direction, while telling it to eat the food. With all of this constant desire to detain wildlife, the small bowl of baby carrots were emptied. As the deer slowly lost its interest and descended down the coulee, this time for good; Sarah had come out to rustle up the littlest one, and bring her back.

I returned to the table, and watched the short exchange and triumphal return of Sarah and sister. They both began to pick up the uneaten carrots, as I returned to the coffee I had left on the table. When the girls entered, little Pip came round to me and we shared this exchange:

Pip: (chipper and bright) Here Tim, I have some carrots for you.

me: Uhh…(obviously unsure of what to do) No thank you.

Pip: (eager) These ones weren’t eaten.

me: (already laughing internally at the situation) Um, well, I thought you threw all the carrots to the deer.

Pip: (still chipper, and still ten) Oh, these ones are fine. They didn’t hit the ground.

me: (laughing inside) “There is no way you can pass those off! I saw you throw them all! These are ground carrots!”…I think to myself …Uh, that’s ok. I don’t want any.

Pip: (regardless) Here you go. This is where she puts one on my plate.

me: (in humourous disbelief) Thanks. I’ll eat it later.