Feel like I just went on a walk with you. Thank you. You inspired me to look at images of Swifts and compare them to Swallows as it occurred to me that I did not know the difference. Did the same thing recently to disambiguate Crows from Ravens. We have Crows here in Hollymead carousing everywhere, making a ruckus and terrifying the birds in nests who I imagine sit there quietly hoping not be discovered by those rapscallions. If they were people I'd have called the police long ago; but a part of me is delighted by their aggressive intelligence.
I love your picture of the old gate (yours?). Made me think that I see gates (especially beautiful ones like that one) as invitations to the "narrow way" rather than blockages. I realize that reasonable people will see the opposite depending on their frame of mind. The light you saw made think of Pentecost (this last Sunday) and my beloved Little Gidding:
"Reflecting in a watery mirror
A glare that is blindness in the early afternoon.
And glow more intense than blaze of branch, or brazier,
Stirs the dumb spirit: no wind, but pentecostal fire
In the dark time of the year. Between melting and freezing
They call swifts 'flying cigars'. I don't know why that helps, but it does. They have stubby little tails in contrast to swallows.
Sometimes crows versus ravens are so obvious (I saw a raven at the Grand Canyon that could have carried away a chihuahua) but over here I have a hard time. But crows tend to be less solitary.
Feel like I just went on a walk with you. Thank you. You inspired me to look at images of Swifts and compare them to Swallows as it occurred to me that I did not know the difference. Did the same thing recently to disambiguate Crows from Ravens. We have Crows here in Hollymead carousing everywhere, making a ruckus and terrifying the birds in nests who I imagine sit there quietly hoping not be discovered by those rapscallions. If they were people I'd have called the police long ago; but a part of me is delighted by their aggressive intelligence.
I love your picture of the old gate (yours?). Made me think that I see gates (especially beautiful ones like that one) as invitations to the "narrow way" rather than blockages. I realize that reasonable people will see the opposite depending on their frame of mind. The light you saw made think of Pentecost (this last Sunday) and my beloved Little Gidding:
"Reflecting in a watery mirror
A glare that is blindness in the early afternoon.
And glow more intense than blaze of branch, or brazier,
Stirs the dumb spirit: no wind, but pentecostal fire
In the dark time of the year. Between melting and freezing
The soul's sap quivers."
Wow, I love those lines!
They call swifts 'flying cigars'. I don't know why that helps, but it does. They have stubby little tails in contrast to swallows.
Sometimes crows versus ravens are so obvious (I saw a raven at the Grand Canyon that could have carried away a chihuahua) but over here I have a hard time. But crows tend to be less solitary.
❤️
So lovely Martha really one of my favorites that you’ve written without getting deep you got to the point. I loved it.
Thanks Laurie!
Brilliant. ✨
Perhaps our medications working and schedules will align again one day soon.
Yes!!