Friday 26 April 2013

April Showers



As summer lashed against the window I noticed the BBC and others were claiming the US and UK had found evidence of chemical weapons, Sarin, being used by Assad in Syria.  In fact there is no 'evidence,' just US intelligence agencies believed 'with varying degrees of confidence,' that Syria had used chemical weapons.  Hmmm.  No journalists have been allowed into the area where this 'discovery' was made.  No independent evidence has been proffered.  No faith can be placed in the agencies involved.  As the US claimed months ago Assad was using them, and lied, and as Assad has no reason at this time to use such a weapon, why should we trust such a report?  The US is already offering weapons to the 'rebels,' whoever they actually are.  The UK is rushing to support, while wary of the WMD shambles, clearly someone has decided to enter Syria in force, just as the successfully did in Iraq!   The things folks do to stop Iran having nuclear weapons, yet do nothing about Pakistan's.  Which nation is more unstable I ask?     



Now that I have sat in here all day scouring the web for ancient houses in this district, and finding they are called 'tenements' or 'messuages,' not houses, I note the clouds have moved on and the sun is shining.  I suppose we ought to be glad the rain is not freezing cold, instead it was somewhat tepid.  Raking up the town's past is interesting when every so often a report arises from an individual brought before the Assize and 'recognized' with the support of two others, to stop beating harassing or troubling some other citizen.  The same names crop up, sometimes centuries apart, showing how long lived some folks family have been.  What is surprising is how little can be discovered about men who were important in their day but now lie forgotten in one of the variety of churchyards.  I gather masses of trivia but little real info so far.  Still, it keeps me off the streets.

Though April showers may come your way,
They bring the flowers that bloom in May.
So if it's raining, have no regrets,
Because it isn't raining rain, you know, (It's raining violets,)
And where you see clouds upon the hills,
You soon will see crowds of daffodils,
So keep on looking for a blue bird, And list'ning for his song,
Whenever April showers come along.

Can someone tell Al Jolson that if May is not a flood of Violets there will be trouble!



8 comments:

Unknown said...

I ran across a mushroom recipe a while back that promised to make one see it raining rose petals in a myriad of colors--even on a bright and sunny day! I will send you link if I ever find it again. Maybe you could get Lee to fix it for you? Hey, she may have her own recipe already!

alan1704 said...

First signs of spring here, blossom on tress and birds singing. Seagulls still as noisy as ever. Great photos yet again.

Adullamite said...

Jerry, I'm not sure I would trust your magic mushrooms....

Alan, Ah Spring, hope it stays.

Mo said...

If we had a few more blogs or twitter accounts telling us about this chemical warfare we might be willing to believe. How the web has changed what we believe from governments and how our respect for politicians has changed. Power to the people!

soubriquet said...

The funny thing is: while you in the south were enjoying, so the papers and the radio said "the warmest day of the year so far", we up here were... well, less than warm. And occasionally wet.

And when you were getting wet, the next day? We were enjoying sunshine and warmth.

Our American friends, I'm sure, can't understand just how disparate things can be within such trivial distances.

I was thinking of you the other day, as I was passing the old milestone by Kirkstall Forge, on the west side of Leeds. I was thinking that to you, we're not the North, we're the midlands, because the milestone declares the distance, Leeds to London as 200 miles, and the distance Leeds to Edinburgh, 200 miles.
http://www.geolocation.ws/v/E/1766212/plaque-on-kirkstall-forge-milepost/en

Lee said...

Do I dare tell you that blue skies reign here at the moment?

No rain in sight...at least not for the next few days as far as the weather forecasts predict, anyway.

Adullamite said...

Mo, There are so many lies re the Middle East, so many voices, so many it is difficult to know what's going on. The web helps, but bias reigns.

Soub, Indeed, the same is true at this moment. The sun shines here while rain lashes the north.

Lee, Typical!!!!!!

Relax Max said...

Violets? Al Jolson is pushing up daisies.