Looks all quiet doesn’t it? 

Just because the Sun has not been out of bed for long doesn’t mean that the contents of this rock pool are still dozing, far from it.

The small stones on the bottom of the pool layer like potato slices in a dauphinoise dish, they have been there or near abouts for tens & hundreds of millions of years, nearby rock eruptions display fractures from heat by metamorphic forces and tectonic eruption. 

Black and Red anemone cling to the pool facets, tiny barnacles scar the rock surface and the on-guard limpits gingerly move about, hardy little buggers that they are, any attempts at trying to move them instigate superglue like tendencies. However, Mr Wrasse and his relative with their parrot like mouths have other ideas and are partial to these dromedary like sea humps. 

Nature abounds no rules, it’s eat or be eaten, and somewhere tucked deep down in a corner nearer the base of the pool seeking refuge is a tiny Crab, he is of belief that he will grow up to be the biggest predator in this environment. Nevertheless in a few years time he will be ready for mating. I know he saw me staring at him and he quickly backed away, but I am already drawing up plans …. 

I am going to arrange a date for him with my saucepan, after all, have you seen the price of fresh Crab these days? 

Mind you, I doubt in five years time that il be able to clamber over these rocks like I once used to as a nimble child with my bucket and trusty net.

(Dry day today, so I nicked something, be back tomorrow)

I am the very model of a modern Major-General,

I’ve information vegetable, animal, and mineral,

I know the kings of England, and I quote the fights historical

From Marathon to Waterloo, in order categorical;

I’m very well acquainted, too, with matters mathematical,

I understand equations, both the simple and quadratical,

About binomial theorem I’m teeming with a lot o’ news, 

With many cheerful facts about the square of the hypotenuse.

I’m very good at integral and differential calculus;

I know the scientific names of beings animalculous:

In short, in matters vegetable, animal, and mineral,

I am the very model of a modern Major-General.

Taken from The Pirates of Penzance by Gilbert & Sullivan 1879.

August 25th 2016

Some of history’s most prolific writers and composers of our time have either been genius, plain barking mad or somewhere in-between and that includes either being addicted to alcohol or some other form of drug or chemical.

Many of the great Musical Classicists were profoundly deaf, many were so high as a kite or out of their own tree that it still amazes me that they were even able to hold their own instrument or quills, let alone strike an ivory or able to even sit at their own piano or desk.

I always was, and still to this day consider myself more of a Beatles Babe than a Californian Beach Boy, I considered the latters music totally monotonous, (Good Vibrations did my head in) and to that comment I must add, music is of a personal agenda, no two people ever share the same playlist, or even come to that, ever dance at the same frequency in time or in tune.

We all knew the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and the such big progressive grpous were into drugs. To add an insult to an injury and icing to top it off, only yesterday did I learn that the Beach Boys in their heyday were constantly tripping whilst writing all of their famous Summer hits, guess that figures as they were the tail end of the Woodstock era which psychedelically traversed itself through the flower power and hippy movement. LSD and its associated trips were still readily available about ten years or so ago and as far as I am aware have no doubt they are still being torn into micro strips to this day.

Perhaps I shouldnt admit to this, but of the twice time, that I popped a tiny cardboard square, I’m sure I met the devil, or his advocate on both occasions and after what seemed like an eternity fighting with him I eventually returned back to square one again, believe me, that is not a pun.

A friend suggested I get out and have some fun clubbing at one of our regular haunts, I was quite into the scene then, but, that’s another story available only for my adult viewers and then only on request. “Go on, you will be fine” he said. So, eventually, I reluctantly swallowed one of these happy perforated items, I should have guessed that the many repeated instruction of  “if I started to feel ill I was to sit down and try to relax and think of nice things’ was definitely a bad omen ….

If you have ever seen the Mrs Browns Boys episode where Agnes takes some *headache* pills, then you may see the funny side of things …. there were hundreds and hundreds of flying orbs and sparkling lines jetting about in front of me, I was coping quite well and enjoying the environment around  …. until another friend spotted me across the sweaty dance club floor. Suddenly I knew it was all going to end up a disaster, I can hear his words still to this day …. “sorry to hear your Mum died” (two weeks previous) as he hugged me tight and cried into my ear ……. It was all down hill from there on ….. and when I say downhill I mean DOWNHILL.

I will never forget that horrid experience, ever.

Making a point, although you may think some of my ‘passages of time’ may seem a little strange, believe me, its got nothing to do with any form of drug, its only myself trying to put lost times into an order, hopefully It will finally fall into a particular one.

Now that I have had some time to think about it. In what location would I consider placing my own self in the spectrum of between barking mad or genius I ask?

To be honest, lt all depends on what position the moon was in last night and what time I woke up this morning!

Hope that has clarified a few things for you.