The perils of working at a computer is the distraction that knowing that whatever question that might pop into your head can be answered by a click of the mouse and typing the query into that well known search engine. And this time the thought was ‘I wonder if there are many quotes with the word hammock in them’. An 'unforgiving minute' later and there I was mining the web.
The first quote I came across was 'It takes a while to master the art of hammock-lounging. At first I could only manage five minutes or so before I thought I ought to get out and go and help a child learn how to swim or something. But after observing the Mexicans' capability for staring into space for hours on end, I decided to put in some proper practice.’ so Tom Hodgkinson wrote. It seems I have an affinity with Mexicans and Tom. If you believe from this that Mexicans are profligate time wasters, relax into a hammock and before you know it the almost imperceptible motion of the hammock will have you staring into space, or more likely snoozing!
Night time in a hammock
Elsewhere Tom writes 'I've never understood activity holidays since we seem to have far too much activity in our daily lives as it is. Find a culture where loafing is the order of the day and where they don't understand our need to be constantly doing things. Find somewhere you can have a hammock holiday.' I think I need to appropriate ‘hammock holiday’ as an expression . It’s such a great term and should be in everyone's vocabulary to be used literally (great for sales) but also as a metaphor. ‘Chill and have (or should it be take?) a hammock holiday’.
Having a 'hammock holiday'
Speaking of introducing a new expression into our everyday lexicon Dan Kieran wrote ‘The word hammockable (describing two trees that are the perfect distance apart between which a hammock can be hung) is not in the dictionary, but it should be.' Well Dan henceforth at Hammock Barn if two trees are suitable for a hammock they will be 'hammockable’ and if not ‘unhammockable’.
Two 'hammockable' trees
Trees 'unhammockable'? Not to worry use the Madera Hammock Stand
And speaking of trees, Jean de Lattre de Tassigny wrote ‘An optimist is a man who plants two acorns and buys a hammock.. '
Two acorns - time required for hammock twenty years
Planting for the future is an admirable thing to do but in the meantime anyone planting acorns might like to consider a hammock with stand.
Apollo Hammock Stand - time required for hammock, minutes!
Ol’ Blue Eyes himself said ‘For years I've nursed a secret desire to spend the Fourth of July in a double hammock with a swingin' redheaded broad. But I could never find me a double hammock.' To be fair to Frank he did say it before the invention of the web otherwise he could have happily come to Hammock Barn. Lots of choice of double hammocks here Mr. Sinatra and quite happy to ship to the states. Can't help with the redhead though.
Ol' Blue Eyes
Family enjoying our Giganta Lava Hammock. Big enough Mr. Sinatra?
Whether by experience or imagination David Niven said of fame ‘Stardom is like making love in a hammock - a happy experience but one of uncertain duration. Which makes me wonder what other experiences in a hammock may be happy but at the same time a bit of a challenge? Your suggestions please.
Personally, I believe a rocking hammock, a good cigar, and a tall gin-and-tonic is the way to save the planet. Wrote P J O’Rourke. And he may be on to something. Zach Galifianakis wrote 'I would start a revolution, but I just bought a hammock.'
Revolutionary
The Revolution can wait. Enjoying life in a double hammock
Just think how the history of the world might have been changed had a few ruthless megalomaniacs checked out our hammocks. But if relaxing in a hammock is too quiet for a tyrant they could keep busy knitting as Stephanie Pearl-McPhee says 'You know you knit too much when ... Before you buy anything, such as a hammock or curtains, you seriously wonder whether you could knit it.' Someone pass Kim Jong-un the needles please.