Magpies Laugh

I’ve been a bit out of sorts for a few days. I’m not sure why. I guess it just sometimes happens that you don’t feel right. There probably is a reason that you don’t want to admit, even to yourself but as you haven’t fessed up to you, it’s a mystery. You just feel a bit pants. 

When this happens, I have a list of things to try.

“When does the swimming pool open?” the Long Suffering Husband asked, sick of my miserable face.

“That’s a long time to wait,” he sighed, when I told him that it wouldn’t be until the 10th.

So, a swim was out. I’d been for a walk, tried to find something uplifting to read (and failed) and played some music, which led me to choosing only slow pieces in minor keys. Nothing was working. I couldn’t even muster the energy to get my camera out and go to photograph small things. Even putting my clothes away Marie Kondo style wasn’t helping. 

Sometimes, I find that looking up the Japanese micro season helps. I think there is something about how they notice all the small things and in Spring they seem to be quite hopeful and uplifting. 

I had noticed that my corner of bird Twitter has stopped mentioning micro seasons. I wondered if no one talks about them at this time of year because they are all depressing. They are noticing that our Swifts are leaving already, which seems early, especially as there are lots of insects to feed on. I had noticed that and it was making me sad. Do I have that wrong? Do swifts always go as soon as they’ve bred and swallows hang around until September? 

Anyway, I thought that checking the micro season might help. It made me quite sad. We are no longer in sync with Japan. I’m quite glad we don’t have the climate for growing rice but I had nothing to compare.

What would our micro season be called? 

I have some suggestions.

Everyone talks about the weather. Little rains might fall, or might not. Helicopter seeds appear on trees. Earth is dry, tomatoes ripen. Earth is wet, tomatoes get blight. More courgettes than you know what to do with. Snails crunch after rain. Magpies laugh. 

I think Magpies Laugh is the best and most cheerful. Have you heard them? They’ve finished all that sex stuff and they are just going around in their family groups having fun, clicking and cawing. They really do sound like they are laughing.

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