Cut down in their prime

Memorial to the “18 of the Fort”, brave and rash junior officers (joined by one civilian) who were the only ones to follow through with a rebellion against the corruption of the Rebublican regime in 1922. The government got wind of the plot and changed the command of other strategic military posts, leaving the rebels in the Copacabana fort isolated. After all their other supporters melted away, the 18 walked along the beach to their fate – all but two were killed.

Lying awake (but no dismal headache) from around 02.15, with HH, in a different room, having a similar problem. He was wandering around the house half the night but did eventually get a little sleep. I got up around 4.30 and started writing. Then the harbingers of dawn, the hummingbirds, started their steady ‘ cheep – cheep – cheep’ and I went out to watch them. There was a running battle with an intruder, then a pair of them teased me by perching close and flying off every time I got a bead on them. Two large bats also made a couple of swooping runs before returning to the tree outside our house.

Decided to try to catch the dawn on the beach. The sun was just coming over the horizon as I waited to cross the beach road, but I was disappointed with most of the shots I got. Away in the distance, a container ship was nearing the mouth of the bay, followed by a large cruise liner, just far enough behind to prevent me fitting them both in the frame. Behind that, another cargo ship, and a rig in the far distance. John Masefield’s poem, Cargoes, ran through my head. Not quite Quinqueremes of Nineveh, but…

Curry and home-made chutney for lunch – again. No more (please) till I get the last remaining box out of the freezer. Off now to do battle with the phone company again. I think our reward for me failing to check our invoices more carefully is that we may have been paying for an internet connection that should have been disconnected years ago. When will I ever learn…?

P.S. Phew - found we weren't paying for two connections. The number was cancelled for the fixed phone, but retained for the internet.