under another sun

Went for a couple of walks, and worked quietly on freelance stuff about homelessness for much of the day. Still coughing and snuffling as I have been the whole week. Greatly oppressed by the Trump victory. Conversations with cousin Wendy via Facebook, she is worried about her friends of colour in the US. The world is on a knife edge. But hey ho. Life goes on for the time being. Lorraine out this evening, Beth back home tonight, and volunteered to cook us a risotto. I'm reading Postmoderism, A very short introduction , by Christopher Butler, whose evident skepticism about the whole movement is quite refreshing. A view at sunset down towards the sea from the north of Brighton from the top of Surrenden Road on my walk this afternoon.

A garden day today. Lorraine and I eventually getting out of bed and working in the garden for a bit. This soon gave way to sitting in the garden, which then led to a game of scrabble in the sun, then this evolved into a game of scrabble and a jug of Pimms, which complicated the scrabble somewhat. Mystifyingly Lorraine beat me by two games to one. But then she is a gamer. Betty back from various travels up north and then to an engagement party in Essex. Very tired she was. I managed to send off some poems this evening. Introduced to boggling today by cousin Wendy in Canada. Wendy keeps rats and apparently when rats are really happy they boggle their eyes. She showed me a video of it, and told me about bruxing which is a happy noise they make prior to boggling. Later I found this video of rats boggling. Little weirdos.  

Last day in Guernsey. Met up for an early breakfast. Lorraine and I both had strange stomachs after last night, but found ourselves able to fork down yet another breakfast with the others. We all split up to pack. Lorraine and I walked up near the Captains to photograph where Wendy had lived, and then back to walk to Icart to drink in the beauty one last time. The morning was beautiful and rainwashed. Then back to the Barbarie where we had an early lunch meeting Jade's mother Sian, and then Jade's Aunt Lynne. To Sian I gave a copy of A Guernsey Double , as it came out in our conversation. Fond farewells with Sam and Jade, and Sian -- then Lynne was kind enough to give us a lift back to the airport. She lives on the island and Sam and Jade and Sian were going to stay with her.  John had been on a walk on his own this morning, looking to find the water lanes again, which he fell in love with and cramming quite a few adventures in back from St Martin's village. A fairly un...

Another slogging-all-day day. Managed to slope out for a 45 mins walk early afternoon, after a pleasant and efficient electrician called Kenny had come and brought dazzling light to one of our lightless bathrooms. Being manacled to the desk all day is far from good for you. As I was almost home again, Beth called me having returned to a Mary Celeste home. More work then I had a Facebook messenger chat with cousin Wendy in Denman Island in British Columbia, Canada. It feels really nice to be connected again after such a long time. Her facebook reveals her surrounded by beautiful nature and various animals from pet rats to ponies. We spent a summer together when Toby and I were kids in Guernsey. I was 11 and Wendy was 13 and we got on really well. I've never seen her since then, although we have been in touch once or twice. I have a golden eagle feather on my desk that Wendy once sent me. Lorraine home and after we'd eaten a pasta chicken bake, Lorraine and I went out for ano...

Two days of all work and no play making Peter an exceedingly dull boy and feeling a bit Jack-Nicholson-in-the-Shining-ish. However I did get a message from my cousin Wendy on Denman Island, who I'd found on Facebook on Wednesday, which was cool.