Gundogs, Songs and Perfect Blogging

A few observations on life, or more accurately the way circumstances can change one's view on it.

A grey morning, somewhat colder than usual whilst still short-sleeve weather. A little overnight rain still on the long grass which seems almost overnight to have tender green shoots sprouting from the ground. Even the yellow straw that was the lawn 72 hours ago is now close to being an overall green. All this so very different from last week, with cerulean blue skies, a skylark high overhead and an insane Springer snuffling in the long grass.

Last week was "hippy weather" - just accept and enjoy the feeling. Easy to see how the hippy movement came from California as much as from anywhere else. This week is (so far) "philosphers weather" - I would find myself 10 minutes on in the dog-walking route, deep in thought and with no sense of time elapsed. To my embarrassment and the eternal  shock of any fellow dog-owners, I realised I had been singing (to myself and not too loudly thank The Lord) Tallis's anthem "If ye love me" to myself. I wonder what dark recesses of my subconscious that came from? I am sure Messrs. Freud and Jung would have a field day analyzing these observations, but to the weather the mood it seems.

There can be few joys in life to compare with walking an insanely wagging Springer (or to be entirely accurate following the random direction he chooses to lead me in - it would be egregious to claim much control! ) in any weather conditions.

When I was a very young man, there were "grey days" where the feeling permeated the workplace as one saw the wet shining pavements outside. It has often been suggested I suffer from SAD to some extent. I am tempted to speculate if modern, climate-controlled boxes with little real connection to the outside world can be changing this. Could changing the lighting and environment in the office be the 21st. Century equivalent of Huxley's Soma?

Dum Spiro Spero