Saturday, March 22, 2008

Mrs BW puts on a brave face


Mrs BW and I left the kids in their beds and braving the biting wind, set off for a stroll round the Goyt. The Curlews have been back for at least a week now (probably longer) so we thought we would go and have a listen. The wind was too strong however and the only sighting was of a pair that flew close to the hillside behind a ridge avoiding the wind with that characteristic slightly chaotic flight that they have. We tramped alone together up the steep slope that leads to the disused railway track and managed to find a sheltered spot out of the wind. We sipped tea and were rewarded by the call of a solitary curlew somewhere down in the valley. We walked briskly back to the car trying to keep warm as the wind found all the little uncovered spots. A kestrel braved the wind to hunt, but I guess it has no choice as no hunting means starvation. On the way home we popped into the supermarket to get somethings for lunch.

I though that given the time of the year this poem had a sort of appropriateness. Its by Philip Larkin from The Whitsun Weddings, published in 1954.

Water

If I were called in
To construct a religion
I should make use of water

Going to Church
Would entail a fording
To dry, different clothes;

My liturgy would employ
Images of sousing
A furious devout drench,

And I should raise in the east
A glass of water
Where any-angled light
Would congregate endlessly.


5 comments:

fiwa said...

I am envious. Despite the cold wind, that sounds like the perfect day. I'm glad you & Mrs. BW enjoyed it together.

"where any-angled light would congregate endlessly." I love that part.

Malcolm Cinnamond said...

Curlews and Larkin - a fine morning indeed.

No Good Boyo said...

O Curlew, cry no more in the wind...". I've not heard one in years. When I still lived in Wales they were regular if distant companions on country walks.

Larkin clearly identified a wrong turning during the Refofrmation.

Rol said...

I've not noticed the return of the pewits to our hill, and they normally get back around the same time as your curlews, I'd guess. I'm hoping the snow doesn't scare either of them away!

The Birdwatcher said...

Fiwa - It was a great day. The wind blew away the cobwebs. Its a lovely line.

Malc - Perfect. The only missing bit was the sound of the waves crashing onto the rocks.

NGB - I think Larkin was agnostic but he recognised the soulessness of the Protestant revolution.

Rol - The small flock that nest in the part of the Goyt that frequent are back. Congratulations on the Daily Mail thing by the way. Not that I read the DM of course!