don't confuse the narrator

bluebirds II

I’ve mentioned before the effect certain blue birds have on me: how they raise my spirits and how, for the (usually brief) moments that they are visible, I forget to do anything other than stand and stare.

This week, though, a jay has visited the vine regularly – I guess the grapes must be just about ripe – so I’ve had my camera to hand on my desk ready for when he appears.

Each morning
a jay visits the vine;
high above, cirrus
whisper of autumn

Normally, even if the camera is easily found, opening windows or doors startles any wildlife away before I can get a picture. But after the recent cleaning binge, I was able to take this photo through the window.

Windows cleaned
inside and out:
how bright the world looks!

Even so, if this is the best I can do, I think next time I’d better leave the bird photography to the experts and settle for recording the image in my memory rather than on my camera’s memory card.

they lied

They promised us a week of rain, starting last Saturday, and I was really rather looking forward to it. In fact, although it’s definitely not as hot as it was, this is probably the most cloud we’ve seen:

Late summer scenery, Gredos — a wisp and a promise

write – edit – censor

I know a number of people who work for Spanish publications and call themselves redactores. Until recently, I thought they were simply writers.

Looking at the RAE gives a single meaning for redactar:

1. tr. Poner por escrito algo sucedido, acordado o pensado con anterioridad.

This doesn’t help me much, so I checked with a Spanish friend from the world of publishing who told me that redactar is not the same as escribir as it involves drawing together ideas and editing them into a coherent form. One example he gave was “you can’t redactar a shopping list.”
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critical thinking I

The idea of critique and criticism** has cropped up on a number of occasions recently, including at the poetry group I attend. There, it seems clear that some of the less experienced writers feel they shouldn’t be commenting on, let alone criticising, the writing of the more experienced group members.

I think they are wrong for two quite different reasons.
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village fiestas

Spain goes from fiesta to fiesta and here in the village the first proper working week after the long summer has ended with celebrations in honour of Nuestra Señora la Virgen del Pilar de Arenas.