Us and Nature

This morning I've been thinking about volcanos. Probably because my husband mentioned earthquakes and tsunamis to me - and another friend has mentioned an earthquake in Alaska.

The reaction to the planes being grounded over Europe has always tickled me. Yup, you got that right. I'm very amused by it. See. A plane flying  in the area of Indonesia sees St. Elmo's Fire, engines cut out ... the plane seems to be crashing ... thankfully the engines restart when the plane drops low ... but when they finally land, they fine that the plane has effectively been, for want of a better word, sandblasted. Fine. So the cause of all that is a volcanic cloud. No problem. We just direct planes AROUND volcanic cloud in future.

But ...  NOT IN MY BACK YARD! Yup - you got that in one ... NIMBY! That's what some people who live in first world countries are ... nimbys. When such an incident crosses over into (arguably) first world countries, that's what the people living there become.

Get a grip on it ... there are several things bigger than us humans, and nature just happens to be one of them. Personally, I'll never attempt to step into an aircraft if there's a volcanic cloud anywhere nearby ... however much it costs me ... and too, I hope we never get big and ugly enough that we learn how to control nature. It's one of the few things that keeps us humble.

(most of this in reaction to people questioning why the planes were grounded in the first place)

... shakes head ...

Last night as I was driving to visit a friend, a fellow-road user did something that really left me wondering. You see, en route to my friends house there is a toll bridge (the Swinford Toll Bridge, for those interested), the usage of which costs 5p (yes, that is five whole pennies) per pass. Seriously, it does NOT cost a lot, even if one uses it every day twice a day!!

Now, my dear fellow road-user decided that they apparently either did not have five pennies on them, or couldn't be a***d to pay any. So what do they do. Well, I pulled up behind them, and noticed that they were approaching the toll booth really slowly. Then the shot off, almost paused as they passed the booth, and then went on over the bridge. Simultaneously the occupant of the booth turned around to notice them disappearing into the distance. It was about then that I realised what they'd done. I pulled up alongside, the occupant of the booth and I shook heads, exchanged wry smiles, I handed over my five pennies, and went on my way.

My question is, why couldn't this individual just have pulled up alongside the booth, admitted to not having 5p, and then gone on their way? There was nothing the money-taker could have done to prevent them from proceeding (there is NO space to turn around), but surely a little courtesy, honesty and such like is ... decent? But no, they decided to be ... dishonest ... and just sneak past while the money-taker's back was (albeit very briefly) turned.

... shakes head ...

So effortless!

How do writers make their stories so effortless?

This has been plaguing me for a while. Reading the finished product, one goes 'of course' ... but the power of the imagination that drives a novel - especially scifi or fantasy - and the storytelling ability that goes into creating such a believable world .... well, I find writing a challenge - especially when it comes to a complex storyline. Give me a simple one any day!

So: hats off to writers! (excluding this one, of course ;-) )

Do you have respect .....

... for nature?

There are two things (apart from the internet and reading) that can make me lose time: streams, and waves. A bubbling brook is a great soother, but I have to say, I just love waves. And the rockier the coastline, the better!

I always challenge myself, especially when seeing waves crashing over rocks like in the photo at left, to take a photo when the splash is at its highest point - and preferable above the horizon! As was the case with this photograph. Many many waves crashed over these rocks at Hermanus, South Africa, before I caught this moment. And I'm not ashamed to say that it is one of my best wave-splash photos ever.

Further than this though, the sea itself fascinates me. Probably because it's so vast, unknowable and dangerous. I've read many books about people who have, for example, sailed around the world. I'd LOVE to do that myself ... except for one thing. I have a built-in wariness of drowning. For me, that would be the most horrible way to die. So much so, it took years before I watched the movie Titanic - mostly because I had seen White Squall previously - I can't bear ships sinking either - although at the same time this scenario (all to real) also holds a morbid fascination.

'Fear' would probably be a better term to use than 'fascination' ... and is probably more correct. Although I dislike admitting to fear, as for me, that is something that I have been taught to not do. Perhaps a better way of putting it is 'strong sense of self-preservation' - which certainly kicks in when it comes to things of the sea. Flight would definitely take place!

Either rate, I will now go and enjoy the water that is falling from the sky ... at least that is currently a safe option :-)

Do they regret?

Just a thought for today, really. I was just looking at a list of classic scifi novels, which included Dune, Fahrenheit 451, The Left Hand of Darkness, that were initially rejected by publishers, and then went on to be bestsellers and win prestigious awards. I just wonder, do those publishers who reject books that later become bestsellers ever regret their decisions?