Wednesday, 6 February 2013

The Day.

Well, that’s a busy day successfully negotiated.

I took the train to Derby today. I like trains. As it was leaving to come homeward, light snow started to drive through the station, and by the time we were rattling along the rural Trent valley it had grown into a minor blizzard that was driving across the fields with malice aforethought. A line of trees in the middle distance was washed a misty grey, and beyond it there was only mist. I looked around the moving tube in which I was sitting, struck by the contrast between the warmth and light within, and the elemental unwelcomeness of what was without. And then I saw a flock of around a hundred wood pigeons take to the air, lifting themselves against the blast with apparent purpose. A hundred dark shapes ranged against countless millions of little white ones. Why would they do that?

*  *  *

Mel lent me her set of LOTR DVDs. I’d like to watch them, but I’m not sure that I have the attention span to watch even one three-hour film, let alone three.

*  *  *

And I received an e-mail and poem from the priestess. I wrote many replies and tore them all up before settling on one that I decided would have to do. Getting a communication from the priestess makes a day not only busy, but special. There are times when service carries the stamp of authenticity, for what can a man do with a priestess but venerate her unconditionally?

*  *  *

Right now I’m tired and need to go to bed. Tomorrow we have cold, strong Arctic winds forecast. That should see me normal again.

7 comments:

andrea kiss said...

What a coincidence! We're watching the Hobbit... well, i was until i started reading your blog and my attention span grew thin. But, Alex is at this very moment watching it though :)

Does your right eye or surrounding area hurt? Because my left one is.

andrea kiss said...

I mean that my attention span has grown thin from having enough of The Hobbit... not your blog. I'm sure you knew what i meant.

JJ said...

Do you know what? I assumed you meant the lack of attention referred to The Hobbit. Must be getting egotistical in my dotage. No eye pain, I'm afraid. I expect I'll invent one now.

Anonymous said...

Just watch 'em. I was 11 when I saw The Fellowship in theatres. It was my first time at a PG13 movie with just a friend (no moms, we were so daring), and I was terrified. It took about 5-minutes to forget my fear and be totally enthralled by this new world.

I envy you, being able to watch them with relatively fresh eyes.

JJ said...

Only two films ever terrified me - Jane Eyre (the Bertha bit, to be precise) and Jaws.

The odd thing is, I'm sure I've seen the whole trilogy, but the clips I pick up on YouTube are unfamiliar. What I remember of LOTR is a mishmash of hobbits, humans, dwarves, wizards, the little guy with the scrunchy face, and battles. Oh, and snowy mountains. I seem to have completely missed all the elf stuff and the romance. How on earth did I miss Arwen and Galdriel, for heaven's sake?

Anonymous said...

They're not all *that* special, perhaps? Eowyn is my favorite female, of the three that have any significant roles in the trilogy.

JJ said...

I don't remember her, either. I must have been attuned exclusively to the manly stuff at the time. I will try to find the time to watch these films and pay them proper attention.