Chasing the sunset

Having admired the effects created yesterday by the setting sun on the clouds, I had a notion to be facing the actual sunset today, on one of our favourite walks at the south of the peninsula at Ardyne, where we finished our walk along the track that runs between the fields and the sea - a sea which felt very close today, as high tide coincided with our arrival. The contrast between the warm sunlight on the field of black cattle and the strange dark layers of cloud before the sun was low enough to illuminate them was remarkable, though I don't know that the collage really shows this up. (Having written that, I've just done a new collage with one of the golden photos!)


The rest of the day was unremarkable, really - I felt I was doing things, but that there was little to show for it. Another load of washing dried pretty well outside; I had a phone chat with my sister; I wasted time on a quiz in which I scored 100% and wondered why I'd bothered. I did an extra half hour of Italian because I gained extra points by doing well - have I mentioned how addictive it is? - and got cold sitting in the study, which has no radiators in it because there is simply no wall space to stick one on. There is a horrid radiant heater, but I couldn't bring myself to put it on ... not yet. And I thought about this business of changing the clocks, and how it seems to accelerate the passing of the months, so that what felt like the end of summer has vanished into the preparations for winter with unseemly haste. Is this just age that affects the perceptions, or would it feel less precipitate if we just left the time unaltered, and got used to the mornings slowly becoming darker? (Answers on a postcard, please ...)


This evening has been marked by the unwelcome appearance of toothache, suddenly realised between dinner, when I was fine, and ten o'clock when I suddenly couldn't close my teeth without pain. I know which tooth it is, a dubious whited sepulchre with a crown (how confusing!) concealing ... what? I've cleaned all the interstices with great care and used the horrid mouthwash that makes your teeth black over time, but it's on fire and it's Friday night ...

Now we'll find out what our newly-privatised dental practice offers in the way of out-of-hours help ...