It is a ritual is St Johns Day. Woken at four by downpours of rain on the
bedroom windows. Up at seven to do the housework on the computer and read
the morning paper. Thunder and lightning outside as the storm settles over
Bath. Cat lies at the catflap in a disgusted huddle as a frisky young mouse
dances with excitement around the room. Cat dont want to know and refuses to
earn his keep. At ten off to hospital to fix a date in October for Lentigo
maligna to be cut out of my cheek. Back to the pub and Stella. Tremendous
crack arguing with eighty year old Frank whether he should go to Catholic
Hell or Protestant Hell, where his friends are. He says he is going to
Catholic Heaven but he will have no one to drink with in the Catholic
realms. He drinks brandy and the Pope drinks creme de menthe according to
Billy Connolly (in pints). Off to see seventy five year old mavis about
http://www.battleofnortonstphilips.org.uk tomorrow to see if anybody wants
to go. Thirty years ago I was in the swing of that. Feed the dog excess of
chocolate biscuits so it continues to love me. Back for Kronenbourg in a
different pub where my housepainter friend Clive (who is painting my house
and we watched Andy Murray together yesterday) is getting his bust car
fixed. Home to read evening paper and phone up sisters-in-law to find that
Glasgow has changed beyond all recognition and that my niece at Glastonbury
has had to buy green wellies. Ordered back out to the pub for free barbecue
(sausages) and bought Stella. Then back home for what the day is all about:
I have vinyl (Karajan at Dresden), CD (Solti at Chicago) and DVD
(Zurichopera) of Meistersinger and every day on this day I listen to the
greatest of all operas. (Only Figaro is there for competition. ) But tonight
I have only time for the great third act. Which is wonderful. Not quite
Heppner and Mattila but van Dam is Sachs and Saint-Saens complaints seem
trivial.
It is now after ten o'clock. Cat is off on his prowl and the ritual day is
at an end. God bless Susan Joekes.
Douglas Clark, Bath, Somerset, England ....
http://www.dgdclynx.plus.com
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