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Cool Clean Water gets me Steamed Up

It really is quite remarkable, the things we take for granted; it only takes one little snag to occur, in whatever we have planned, to make us grouchy and ungrateful and yet, we so easily overlook the plenitude of blessings which are our daily lot in the affluent world.

In the present heatwave, I must express my gratitude at having clean fresh drinking water on tap (quite literally) and, it’s even better to have it chilled, straight from the regularly replenished jugs in the refrigerator. I’ve got to admit a preference for drinking the fermented juice of the grape but, it doesn’t require too much reflection to realize water is so much more essential!

How much political and technical goodwill would be required to ensure that everyone on planet earth had access to a clean water supply? Why, in a world of plenty, do we allow people to go hungry and thirsty? Money can always be found for weapons of destruction (and mass destruction) yet, even in the developed world there are people who simply subsist rather than live.

Somehow, we all seem far too complacent about criminal levels of inequality and injustice, both at home and around the globe; we always seem to look out for number one, at both the personal and the political level, and ignore the social cost.

I was just going to make a quick comment about simple blessings but having visited the Dropping Knowledge website, earlier this afternoon, I felt obliged to ask a couple of questions. I’ve still got to post a question on the site but, I do really feel it’s a global initiative worth supporting. Will it have any effect? I don’t know, but we’ve got to start somewhere. 67 days remain until the Table of Free Voices assembles in Berlin; why not visit http://www.yourquestion.org
and find out what it’s all about! It’s good to ask questions but, the answers may be a good deal harder!

*****************************

PS 6 July 2006: You can see the first of my questions, to Your Question.org,here!

A Tinkerbell Moment and Boys Will Be Boys

Last night, a Tinkerbell moment, a tiny air bubble glowing in the full spectrum light! The tiny neon glow dances around, in close proximity to the waters surface. It’s the first time I’ve observed such a juvenile; it’s only with great difficulty that I’m able to see the semi translucent tail. I stare in wonderment; the mere millimetres long neon glow also possesses tiny sparkling eyes. Such solitude; I suspect that the adults had been enjoying eggs for breakfast sometime in the past couple of weeks and, this is the sole survivor.

In the non-illuminated tank, this morning, I look for this infant. Ten minutes later, through the semi-gloom, I bear witness to its darting dancing presence; such was my sense of wonderment last evening, I’d half expected it to have been a mere figment of my, and my beloved’s, imagination.

For the moment, the heavy-bellied female idles her time in glorious solitude. Across the tank, a frenetic wiggling occurs as the young males prepare to display, to fight and play. Fins erect like bold banners a tussle begins, testosterone at an all time high; the elder male, at times, keeps his distance; “they’ll learn one day”, I imagine the elder saying, “but boys will be boys. Was it really like that in my day?”

As spectator to these antics, I’m already beginning to feel exhausted but, it really is a wonderful display. Whatever the White Cloud Mountain Minnow lacks in stature, it certainly compensates for in terms of energy.

And now the chase of the female begins but, she’ll scatter the eggs when she’s ready.

Saturday Wonderful Saturday

N.B. The penultimate paragraph goes some way to explaining why this Saturday posting wasn't prepared until today!

Yesterday morning, and what a brave boy I’m becoming; another venture into town with my beloved chauffeuse, before the full heat of the day had time to make its impact felt. We found a parking spot and purposefully headed off to the store where I could spend the gift card still extant from my birthday. A previous visit ended in abject failure but, perhaps this time I would be a little more successful in my quest. I managed to find a couple of DVD’s for our collection, ‘One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest’ (two disc edition) and ‘The Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy’ (movie version), both in the ‘Sale’ at the store.

On our way to the store a notable distraction occurred, the opportunity to get close to a Honduran Tangerine Milk Snake at a new Exotic Pet shop. I missed the opportunity to handle one of the Royal Pythons, as the one sloughing its skin was closely entwined with a more temperamental companion.

I’m sure that I’ll be paying more visits to this pet emporium, even if only to visit Gilbert, the green iguana, but they have a wonderful array of parrots, lovebirds, rabbits, guinea pigs, spiders, skinks, gecko’s, fish and more. It’s wonderful to find such an environment close to home. I don’t feel capable of giving any reptiles all the necessary TLC at present, so I won’t be entering the realm of ownership. I get so much pleasure from our fish, in both the aquarium and the pond, the thought had crossed my mind that it might be good to have a pet that I could actually handle.

On our way back to the car, we stumbled upon a little brawl between a couple of yobs; it takes all sorts of events to make up the true spirit of our proud historic Spa town, but some we can well do without! At least both participants, and their friends, had elements of England regalia on their person so, it obviously wasn’t nationalistic rivalry.

In the afternoon, following a period of rest, I once more donned my chef’s mantle to prepare one of my unique beef curry dishes ready for Sunday lunch. It’s always good to allow plenty of time for the flavours to mature! Come the evening, having watched ‘Doctor Who’ (BBC1), switched on my laptop PC which started behaving in a very erratic fashion, making me wonder how a ‘logical’ machine could behave in such an apparently irrational manner. It took the consumption of at least a couple of glasses of ‘Gran Tarapaca’ Carmenere, Chile 2004, before I’d managed to resolve the problems. An even more difficult task was keeping an half-attentive eye on ‘CSI:NY’ and ‘Law & Order’ (both Channel 5) whilst sorting out the laptop’s glitches.

It was a perfect day in which I avoided the temptation to yield to frustration and, as always, delighted in the company of ma belle amoureuse.

Of Coffee, Grapes and Damselflies

A bright and early start to the day, at least by Sinna Luvva’s standards and, into the shower shortly after 9.30AM, a deed which I’m sure will be marked down in the annals of history. Post shower, the relaxation began; a lazy application of emollient cream to the lower limbs and, a bit of browsing of a technical manual, more than sufficed for the first hour of entry into the day-people’s realm.

By 11.00AM, lightweight clothes and sandals donned, I sauntered down to Open Church at St Marks for coffee, biscuits and a generous helping of conversation. Some forty minutes later, as I sauntered back from this venue, I met our friend Brian’s mum and was able to catch up on how he was coping as a guest of Her Majesty. It appears now, that the earliest opportunity for his release will be April 2007. I share her wish and concern that he will be able to find adequate support, and companionship, when the time comes. Having spent a few years alcohol free, the same temptations will be there on his return to the wider world.

As we talk, we both express our gratitude that we are able to enjoy the delights of fermented grapes as a sociable activity; there but for fortune ….

On return home, and after a little rest, my first port of call was the garden pond to distribute a few floating food-sticks. The goldfish swiftly acknowledged my arrival, and quickly devoured their feast. Both Water Boatmen and Pondskaters were in evidence on the pond’s surface and, after a few minutes a couple of iridescent red Damselflies caught my attention; so ignorant am I in the field of entomology that I’m unable to tell you whether they were the Large Red (Pyrrhosoma nymphula) or the small red (Ceriagrion tenellum) variety. To be quite honest, they could well be a species whose name I’ve not seen in a textbook; forgive my lack of expertise but, unfortunately, I’m not endowed with perfect knowledge.

After this period of distraction, there was further work to be done, removing and folding the first batch of today’s laundry from the line and, replenishing the vacant spaces with the second (smaller) machine load of washing. Once again, I have managed to remove a little of my halo’s tarnish.

Who knows where ...

Having marginally overstayed my allotted period of bed rest, I boldly ventured into the getting dressed arena, without an intervening dressing gown only period. Perhaps, the fact that I couldn’t even contemplate taking a shower made this transition a little easier.

As the atmosphere was rather muggy, swift visits to the pond, to provide some additional nourishment for the piscine residents, replaced my more sustained periods of relaxation on the garden bench.

Most of the day seems to have gone in slow motion, but not discomfortingly so, and I had to keep reminding myself what day of the week it was. I suspect that this confusion, of the days, stems from my beloved’s change of working pattern this week. Apart from putting up a new page on one of my websites and, taking a brief (almost) brisk walk with my beloved in the late afternoon, I find myself wondering what happened to this apparently lingering day.

All in all, a gratefully received relatively pain-free day; for this I give thanks.  

Contentment and Complacency

Over recent days my contentment quotient seems to have become beautifully excessive. This is not to say that everything’s fine, I still have my pet peeves, anxieties and nagging dis-ease but, I have re-discovered the virtue of acceptance and accepting.

Of course, the little grey cells send out warning signals; “acceptance and accepting … sounds like complacency to me”.
So, are complacency and contentment really that alike; I certainly hope not!

Contentment is to do with (almost unconsciously) counting one’s blessings, despite one’s limitations; complacency is being so content with, and possessive of, one’s own lot that, you can let all the rest go hang.

Contentment is being at peace with the world but, it does not entail indifference to the gross ills and injustices that surround us. Complacency is when I am the world.

When one is truly content the capsule of self dissolves into the oneness of being.

And this is Sapphire ...

... one of our neighbours cats, who likes to keep me company in the garden. At the same time, she can't understand why all the birds have flown and, the goldfish have all darted into cover.

A Bobbing Sea of Sparrows

Sections of our lawn are currently abob with sparrows. Our policy of allowing and encouraging swathes of the garden to be a ‘wildlife area’ seems to be reaping its rewards. Simultaneously, there are at least a dozen young sparrows joyfully inhabiting the garden bench. It is indeed a privilege to have the time to stand and stare.

For a short time yesterday afternoon, my beloved and I occupied ourselves in removing, once more, some of the ground elder and yellow loosestrife which seems to delight in making it’s presence felt in the more cultivated area of the garden. At the same time, we observe with great pleasure the multifarious varieties of grasses and a range of wildflowers at the gardens wilder end. Even the blossoming wild brambles are a source of delight.

A Surfeit of Chirrups

This morning, it seems as if all the shrubbery and foliage in our garden, of which there is an abundant supply, is alive with the chirruping of sparrows, fledglings and adult birds alike. Some of the young birds are still being fed by the adults, a wonderful sight. By the time I’ve sat beside the pond for a few minutes, several fledglings perch themselves on the bench which I’m occupying and, come and drink from the birdbath, three feet away from where I’ve situated myself. I just wish I had my camera with me but, I have this sneaking feeling that they’re going to prove camera-shy should I make the effort to retrieve my camera from the house.

I content myself, just listening to the sounds and observing their activity and, even find a moment to feed the goldfish and enjoy their frenetic response to my charitable act. For these valuable moments, I become oblivious to all the world’s woes! For such moments I give thanks.