Much cooler - but very pleasant

Although the above picture 'Ocean' has recently been used to illustrate Hopkins' poem The Wreck of the Deutchland I wanted it to accompany the following words from his Pied Beauty. There is no law 'agin it. No doubt I've quoted the lines before, but they are favourites and, with the August sunlight shining on the ground through foliage, there are dappled patches all over the place.

"Glory be to god for dappled things -
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pierced - fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.

................................................Gerard Manley Hopkins - 1880"

There is a policy-change today. I've decided to start, and maybe complete my Blog much earlier in the day; while I still feel buoyant. Leaving it till last thing in the evening meant that, by that time I was much closer to my 'done-for' point, which inevitably added a certain pallor to my prose ! Very similar to how my complexion would be - by 8pm.

We both slept well. Y is in the garden - cutting back, tidying, and filling black plastic bags. How did we used to manage without them? By having bonfires - that's how. A good 'puther' my Dad called it. No doubt Madeline can still get away with a smoky bonfire, in rural Wales, but our neighbours would snort with disapproval and it wouldn't be long before the Constabulary arrived. Vandals - Not coming! Smoky Bonfires - We are on our way! would be their approach I'm afraid.

One of the disadvantages to early blogging is that some readers acquire the 'morning edition' and add comments before I have finished editing. For instance, the picture. The only clue to the identity of the photographer which Google Images provided me with, was from the URL which indicates that he/she may be named Anderson. If he/she happens to see this I would like to reassure, that I wasn't trying to 'nick' a super image. And I can also reassure Bungus that the word in the poem is 'brinded' and not 'brindled'. I've looked in 2 quotation dictionaries and also re-read the poem itself. No 'l', honest.

It was a 'me cook' day today and I did tiny portions of poached cod with peas and new potatoes. At teatime we had a little ham; on bread in my case and toast for Y. We have discovered this good brown loaf in the supermarket. It has a hint of sourdough and is v.crusty. Unfortunately it never seems to have an identifying label round it. During the day we have had gallons of tea but I don't think that is particularly fattening or unhealthy.

I'm not deliberately ignoring the terrorist arrests but I can't think of much to add to media comment. The security-services, the police, and the Pakistan authorities have done extraordinarily well as far as I am concerned. And, reluctant though I am to say so, I am beginning to think that John Reid is quite impressive. He might, in my opinion. be a better head of the government than Gordon Brown............