A Little Light, Again

Yesterday was light. Today might be lighter. I’m going to prioritize some writing for work, and then I have a long list of preparations for this week’s reunion of my extended family hosted by Pater and I. So I’m going to fob you off with some pretty pictures and a tidbit or two. Please forgive.

Driftwood drilled by, I believe, the teredo worm — if you’re a marine, or other, biologist who knows I’ve got this wrong, do feel free to provide the correct info. I love how beautiful is the destruction of these worms, though a wooden boat owner must only shudder.
Eryngium flowers in the garden — bees love these, so I do too. And they survive weeks of drought quite happily, another point in their favour. The metallic grey-blue-lilac suits the hot, dry air very well.

Much lusher, but equally pleasing, are the flowers of the Hibiscus syriacus ‘Blue Bird’ — one of the pleasures of a maturing garden is seeing shrubs planted years ago really settling into and owning a spot — this one is an example in my garden.

And some sun-worn tarp pulling away from the bottom of the small sailboat it’s supposed to be protecting makes an abstract composition of colour and geometry.

I love the repeated horizontals here and the contrast between the crisp manmade materials in the foreground and the muddiness of the organic background. Similarly, I like the contrast between the dead and/or non-organic in the front and that sprightly weed springing out of the old log.As for the tidbits:

I’ve told you before about Jeremy Denk’s blog Think Denk. Perhaps you even visited, clicking on the link I provided, but then saw that it was about classical music which is maybe not your thing, so you haven’t been back. Here’s a phrase to convince you to try again, even if classical music isn’t your thing, because Maybe Good Writing IS! Describing the recent heat wave experienced by Seattle (my American neighbour, practically, in Cascadia), Denk says, my hostess and I are both heading down delirium’s loopy driveway. I love this!!

A bit later, speaking of his heat-engendered crankiness, he speaks of wanting to pen manifestos that will piss people off, and goes on: People will come to find me in my castle of This Is True, they’ll knock timorously on my leaden door of Certitude, but in the meanwhile I will have snuck off to a grass hut on the beach, lying half in and out of it, in swim trunks, my feet playing idly with the sand. So long, suckers! See. You don’t need to know anything about Classical music to enjoy his crazy whimsy. But if you do, you’ll marvel at how he moves between the abstract and the concrete in exploring the pieces he’s working on, and you’ll get a chance to experience the music from the inside out.

And my daughter hasstarted up her blog again, although who knows for how many posts given the changes she has ahead. If you’re curious, pop by and leave a comment (or not, as you wish).

So there you have it. I’d really rather hang ’round with you here than go draft a proposal, but since the nice people at work pay me and all . . . Meme coming soon. More light.