Twenty years ago today I was working an early shift covering a colleague while he was on holiday. It meant I was in the car driving to work just as Radio 4 was taking over from the World Service on the radio. I was still trying to absorb what had happened the day before. Although we used to have a radio on as background in the harbour office where I was working at the time, I’d been out on the patrol boat as news had started to filter in as to what was happening in New York. At first they made it sound like it was a small light plane, a Cessna or similar that had hit the North Tower. When the news arrived of a second plane it became clearer that this was something more sinister.
By the time I reached home after my shift the horror of what had happened was becoming apparent and the world changed forever.
We’re back “home” again after our brief stay elsewhere. It’s interesting that while we were away my sleep patterns were much better, despite a slightly lumpy bed. I’m not sure whether it was because of all of the extra exercise I was getting or the overall quieter and darker place, here it is all streetlights, traffic and people. It’s certainly made us think and reconsider our surroundings and what we need from life.
Reading
I don’t feel like I’ve had much time for reading since we got back either, nor have I been able to keep my eyes open for long enough of an evening to read more than a page or two. How can I be so tired and yet sleep so badly?
Anyway when I have been reading I’ve been picking up Derek Jarman’s diaries of his time living in a little cottage at Dungeness. The cottage is famous for the garden that Jarman created before he died.
I haven’t read very far yet, but it’s clear from the words that Jarman was very much a creative.
Also if you’re looking for something good to read, can I recommend checking out the Drifter Detective series, now available in this collection:
Allotment
I’ve been getting a piece of the plot ready for sowing overwintering broad beans. Our allotment shop under it’s new management has declared that it is not doing seeds this year (or onion sets or seed potatoes), so I will have to buy them elsewhere. I won’t go into how this rather pathetic state of affairs has arisen but one of the strengths that I saw in our little shop was the fact that it sold seeds etc. Now it just seems to sell bags of compost and only on a Sunday.
My apples are now mostly ripe and I’ll be picking them all over the next week. I sampled a few yesterday and along with some of the autumn fruiting raspberries made a rather spectacular apple and raspberry strudel. My god it was good, even if it did look a bit like a Hannibal Lecter recipe.
Work
A purchase order arrived from a client for the piece of work we’ve been discussing, work commences tomorrow. I’ve been doing some prep work this week – timesheet templates and other admin stuff. I’m quite looking forward to it because it’s also quite an interesting piece.
Links
Memorializing Animals Who’ve Been Killed on the Road
Dear Sean – Should I get a dog?
Twelve More White-tailed Eagles released on the Isle of Wight
Oxfordshire celebrates first Crane fledging in 500 years
Well that’s everything for this week. Next week I’ll be doing quite a bit of paid work, interspersed with some gardening and allotment work if the weather holds. I also hope to receive a roll of film back from the processors that I took partly while we were away. The first half I took some time ago and although I think I know what’s on there I’m not 100% sure, so that should be a bit of a surprise.
Whatever you’re up to, stay safe and take care.
Electronic Scrapbook 
I think it would be very difficult for me to live in a town or city again. The peace and tranquility, we have, out here in the middle of nowhere cannot be described easily. In fact, most people would probably think being so isolated would make them feel insecure. After seven years, the feeling I get out here is exactly the opposite.
There’s something very comforting about the moon being the only bright light in the sky at night, and the loudest neighbours are great horned owls calling out from the tree tops and the distant calls of the coyotes as they hunt several kilometers away in the valley below.
I can no longer imaging having other people living just ten feet away from me on all sides. Visiting someone living in town was stressful enough, when visiting other households was allowed. I suppose that’s one good thing to come out of this pandemic lock-down… no need to make up excuses as to why I can’t go into town for a visit.